Trump Plans Deeper US Troop Cuts from Germany, Spain and Italy Over NATO Allies' Iran War Stance

President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of NATO European allies for failing to support the US in the war with Iran. He warned that their inaction carries consequences, backing his words with plans to reduce American troops in several countries.

Trump said Saturday he would pull more than the Pentagon's initial 5,000 troops from Germany. The move followed Chancellor Friedrich Merz's criticism of the American effort to stop Iran's nuclear program. A day earlier, Trump stated about Germany, "We're gonna cut way down. We're cutting a lot further than 5,000."

The administration had previously announced a 5,000-troop cut after Merz said Iran's regime "humiliated" Trump. On Sunday, Merz softened his stance in a post on X: "The United States is and will remain Germany's most important partner in the North Atlantic Alliance. We share a common goal: Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons."

Trump also targeted Spain and Italy for not aiding the US against Iran. In response to a question about troop reductions there, he said, "I mean, they haven't been exactly on board. Yeah, probably. Yeah, I probably will… Italy has not been of any help to us. And Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible."

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blocked US use of Spanish bases for refueling or military preparations. He called the US and Israeli campaign against Iran illegal but said little about the regime's killing of protesters or its push for ballistic missiles and nuclear-grade uranium.

Last month, Trump told Corriere della Sera he was shocked at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. "I'm shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong."

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, called the allies' lack of support treacherous. In comments to Fox News Digital, he said European leaders show a deep appeasement toward Iran and refuse to face the dangers of a nuclear-armed regime.

"The lack of support for the United States is how far Europe has gone toward losing its moral compass," Gardiner said. "Iran is a genocidal regime that threatens to wipe Israel off the map." He noted the Islamic Republic has killed huge numbers of its own people.

Merz had spoken last week in Marsberg, saying Washington was being "humiliated by the Iranian leadership" and hoping the conflict ended quickly. Gardiner called those remarks astonishing and said they aid Iranian propaganda.

Trump also criticized France and the United Kingdom in March. On Truth Social, he wrote that France refused overflights for planes carrying military supplies to Israel. "France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!"

He told the UK, which refused to join the effort against Iran, to buy jet fuel from the US or take the Strait of Hormuz. "You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us."

Gardiner said Europe has lost the will to fight for Western civilization. "Europe has fundamentally changed over the last 20 years beyond recognition," he added. He described the allies' stance as defeatism that future generations will pay for.