Trump threatens to reduce troop numbers in Germany amid growing row with Nato allies

The US may reduce its number of troops deployed in Germany, Donald Trump has announced, days after the country’s chancellor said America was being “humiliated” by Iran. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said his administration was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany , with a determination to be made over the next short period of time”. On Monday, Friedrich Merz suggested the Trump team was being outplayed in its negotiations with Iran to secure an end to the ongoing war and a reopening of the strait of Hormuz. “The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” the German chancellor said. Merz reiterated his criticisms on Wednesday, saying Europe was “suffering” from the consequences of the closure of the Hormuz strait. Trump cancelled a second trip by US negotiators to Islamabad last week. Since then, discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme, missiles and sanctions relief have hit an impasse. …