Trump responds with fury to German leader's change in tone over Iran Are US military operations abroad possible without Ramstein?

Talks between Iran and the United States seem to have stalled, pushing oil prices higher and adding to geopolitical tensions.

Against this backdrop, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, widely regarded as one of the few world leaders who has a good personal relationship with the US president, has sharply criticised Washington’s approach in its attacks on Iran, accusing it of lacking a clear exit strategy and warning of broader consequences.

Berlin did not have to wait long for a reaction from the White House, with Donald Trump suddenly speaking about a possible reduction of US troops in Germany. Is that his response to the chancellor, who said the Americans were being “humiliated” in Iran?

The German leader has travelled to Washington multiple times since entering office in May 2025, with his public conversations with the US presidents always remaining friendly and cordial. Yet Chancellor Merz chose a very different tone this week when he was speaking at a school event in Marsberg, as German media reports.

Merz expressed hefty criticism regarding Washington's conduct in Iran and spoke about the collateral damage Germany was dealt with it.

"Because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly do not have a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations," Merz said during a discussion with students at a high school in Marsberg as part of an EU project day. "The problem with such conflicts is always this: you don’t just have to go in, you also have to get out. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq."

The Americans had "quite obviously entered this war without any strategy," Merz criticised, making it all the more difficult to bring the conflict to an end. "Especially since the Iranians are obviously negotiating very skilfully—or very skilfully not negotiating," he said. "An entire nation is being humiliated by Iran’s leadership." In his view, the situation is currently "a rather tricky predicament" that "is costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has direct effects on our economic performance."

Those harsh words echo the sentiment felt by most European governments, which are trying to avoid being directly pulled into the Iran war. This stance was most visible with their rejection of Trump's calls to take a bigger role in opening the Strait of Hormuz, even threatening to exit the NATO alliance over their lack of help.

Yet Trump would not be Trump if such criticism did not provoke a public outburst. According to the US president, the German chancellor finds it acceptable “if Iran possesses nuclear weapons,” he raged on April 28 in a social media post. "He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.”

Trump revealed that he’s dealing with Iran on a matter that should have been addressed way back by other nations and presidents. Throwing shade at the German economy, he added, “No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both economically and otherwise!”

America's largest army base in Europe

Merz said the following day that his personal relationship with the American president remained “unchanged and good, at least from my perspective.”

Trump nevertheless floated the idea of a partial withdrawal of US forces from Germany. More than 36,000 American soldiers are stationed there, along with thousands of civilians—far fewer than during the Cold War, but still more than in any other European NATO country.

The New York Times recently pointed out that the possibility of a drawdown raises questions about NATO’s posture at a time of heightened security concerns linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Germany serves as a critical hub for U.S. military logistics, including medical services, aircraft maintenance, and the headquarters of American forces in Europe.

As German media outlets recalled, Trump had already spoken of plans to withdraw 12,000 troops in 2020, shortly before leaving office. The US Congress blocked the move back then, and his successor Joe Biden reversed the decision after taking office in 2021. However, Trump is now expected to remain in power until January 2029, giving him time to revisit the idea.

They also point to the fact that the US commander-in-chief has shown a tendency to bypass Congress in certain cases—for example, during the current “Epic Fury” operation in Iran. Even so, proposals to redeploy troops have not always been well received, including among his own allies. In October 2025, Trump faced criticism after announcing plans to move troops out of Romania, even as NATO was strengthening its eastern flank in response to the Russian threat.

While it appears unlikely that the US would dismantle the headquarters of US European Command in Stuttgart or significantly reduce personnel at Ramstein Air Base, the most important hub of the US Air Force in Europe, his remarks came on a significant day. Carsten Breuer, the inspector general of the German armed forces, presented Germany’s new military strategy in Washington—one that calls for a greater German role within NATO and more independence from the United States.

By Nazrin Sadigova