Trump troop threats to Europe fail to move the needle on Iran

President Trump’s snap decision to pull 5,000 U.S. troops out of Germany isn’t moving the needle in pushing European nations to enter the U.S. war in Iran or help Washington reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s move – which came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – has only reinforced European nations’ plans to take care of their own security rather than capitulate to Trump’s demands.

The allies, weary of Trump’s constant threats to withdraw U.S. forces from the European continent entirely and smarting from the economic fallout of the Iran war, appear to have carried on with business as usual, according to experts and country leaders themselves.

“The Europeans are trying to find ways to contribute, certainly to resolving or to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once there is a broader settlement, but that’s driven by their own interests. They’re not being impacted by the troop withdrawal from President Trump,” said Jörn Fleck, the senior director with the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council think tank. 

The U.S. has most troops in Europe stationed in Italy, in Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland and Germany – with the latter housing the most at roughly 36,000 U.S. service members. The country is home to the Ramstein Air Base, the largest American military site on the continent and the headquarters for U.S. Air Force in Europe.

The military bases serve as information and logistical hubs, supporting American military efforts outside the continent, such as the U.S. war in Iran, and serving as a deterrent to Russia.

But Trump, frustrated by NATO allies’ failure to support the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran – namely by withholding the use of their bases or airspace for the operation or failing to send their ships to help open the Strait of Hormuz – has railed against the countries, which he accused of being “cowards.”

Trump earlier this month said he would “probably” remove American troops from Spain and Italy as Rome has “not been of any help to us,” and Madrid has been “absolutely horrible.” Spain and Italy have denied U.S. military planes taking part in the Iran war from using their bases.

And after Merz said that the........

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