Now Trump Threatens To Withdraw Us Troops From Italy And ‘horrible’ Spain

President Trump has threatened to propulsion U.S troops our of Spain and Italy aft hitting retired astatine NATO friends for not sending their navies to thief unfastened nan Strait of Hormuz.

On ​Thursday he said "probably" erstwhile asked whether he would see pulling U.S. troops retired of Italy and Spain, a time aft announcing that Washington was looking astatine reducing nan ⁠number of subject unit successful Germany.

He has besides said that he is considering withdrawing nan United States from NATO.

An soul Pentagon email, ⁠reported past week, outlined options for nan United States ​to ⁠punish NATO friends it believes ‌failed to support U.S. operations successful nan war pinch Iran, including suspending Spain from nan alliance.

Trump, who discussed nan anticipation ‌of removing immoderate U.S. troops from Europe ‌earlier this month, connected Wednesday said his management was looking astatine cuts to U.S. forces successful Germany and a determination would beryllium made soon. He has lashed retired astatine German Chancellor Friedrich Merz complete his disapproval of nan Iran war, calling him "totally ineffective," and threatened to trim nan 36,400 U.S. troops based successful Germany.

Asked connected Thursday ⁠if he would besides see pulling U.S. troops retired of Italy and Spain, 2 countries that person besides been captious of nan Iran war, Trump said, "Probably ... Look, why shouldn't I? Italy has not been of immoderate thief to america and Spain has been horrible, perfectly horrible."

Trump past period threatened to enforce a ‌full U.S. waste and acquisition embargo connected Spain aft nan European state ​refused to fto nan U.S. subject usage its bases ‌for missions linked to ⁠strikes connected Iran.

The U.S. had conscionable complete 68,000 active-duty ⁠military unit assigned permanently successful its overseas bases successful Europe arsenic of December 2025, ‌data from nan ​U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center shows. ‌More than half - astir 36,400 - ​are based successful Germany.

The news is nan latest successful a bumpy narration betwixt America and Europe.

Trump has antecedently taken purpose astatine British Prime Minister Keir Starmer successful strikingly individual terms, saying that he is "not Winston Churchill," and threatening to enforce a "big tariff" connected imports from nan ⁠UK. More worrying for Europe, Trump's Defense Department has floated punishing NATO friends that it believes are not supporting U.S. operations successful nan warfare pinch Iran, including suspending Spain arsenic a personnel and reviewing U.S. nickname of nan Falkland Islands arsenic a UK possession.

"It's unnerving to opportunity nan least," 1 European diplomat told Reuters this week. "We are braced for anything, anytime."

A 2nd European diplomat said erstwhile ⁠German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had a rocky narration pinch Trump during his first term, had modeled ​the ⁠right approach.

“We’ve each learned a spot really to grip Trump by now. You must not respond immediately, you must fto nan large wind pass, while opinionated firmly connected your positions," nan diplomat said.

Even those who attempted flattery person faced Trump's ire, nan diplomat said. "All those who tried that sewage their volley of insults, ⁠like nan others. So everybody realizes now that flattery doesn’t activity either," nan diplomat said.