President Trump is now dangling the prospect of yanking US troops from Italy and Spain, escalating his public fight with NATO partners over the war in Iran and security in the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, a day after saying he'd look at reducing forces in Germany, Trump told reporters he would "probably" consider pulling out of Italy and Spain, arguing, "Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible," the Guardian reports. Rome and Madrid dispute that.
- Italian defense minister Guido Crosetto said Trump's claims that European-linked ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz were "never" true. "We have also made ourselves available for a mission to protect shipping. This was greatly appreciated by the American military," he told ANSA. In late March, Italy denied use of an airbase in Sicily to US planes with weapons for Iran, saying the proper authorization procedures had not been followed, per the Guardian.
- Spain has refused US use of joint bases for strikes on Iran and has been one of the EU's sharpest critics of Trump's campaign there. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has branded the conflict an "illegal war." At an EU summit last week, he said: "The Spanish government's position is clear: absolute cooperation with allies, but always within the framework of international law."
About 13,000 US troops are stationed in Italy and nearly 4,000 in Spain, including at bases seen as crucial to US operations in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. More than 36,000 are stationed in Germany, which allows the US to use its Ramstein Air Base for operations against Iran, Politico reports. Trump criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and threatened to pull out US troops earlier this week after Merz said the US appears to lack an Iran exit strategy and is being "humiliated" by the country's leaders.
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