U.S. President Donald Trump on April 30 suggested that he may consider pulling out some U.S. troops from Spain and Italy, citing their lack of support throughout the now two-month U.S.–Israeli war with Iran.

Trump had indicated the day before that he would review a possible reduction in U.S. troops stationed in Germany, saying that he would make a final decision in a short period of time.

On April 30, a reporter asked Trump whether he would consider the same for Spain and Italy, given their cool reaction to the joint attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran that began on Feb. 28 aimed at ending the regime’s nuclear capabilities.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Trump said. “Italy has not been of any help, and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.”

The United States had 12,662 active-duty troops stationed in Italy as of December 2025, according to Pentagon data. For Spain, the total was 3,814.

Italy is in fourth place among the top five nations with the highest number of active-duty U.S. troops, behind Japan, Germany, and South Korea.

Trump’s threat toward Germany started after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on April 27 that Iran was humiliating the United States, telling students that “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership.”

“The Iranians are obviously very skilled ⁠at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad ​and then leave again without any result,” Merz said while giving a talk to students in Marsberg, Germany.

Merz was referring to Trump’s decision to send U.S. officials to Pakistan on April 27 for negotiations with the Iranians after he abruptly canceled a previous summit scheduled for two days before.

Trump took to social media on April 29 to announce that he was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany.”

Afterward, Merz said he was still on good terms with Trump, despite their disagreements over Iran.

“From my perspective, my personal relationship with the ​U.S. president remains good,” Merz told reporters. “I simply had doubts from the ⁠start about what was begun with the war in Iran. That is ​why I have made that clear.”

In response, Trump said Merz should focus more on the war between Russia and Ukraine in Europe.

“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!” Trump said on April 30 in a social media post.