Donald Trump has severely criticised NATO allies in recent weeks for not supporting the US operation in the Middle East and helping end Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
13:39, Fri, May 1, 2026 Updated: 14:02, Fri, May 1, 2026
Donald Trump has lashed out at two NATO allies (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from two NATO allies, including one which he claims has been "horrible" to America.
The US President has threatened to withdraw US troops from Spain and Italy and also said he could reduce the number of troops currently in Germany. Speaking to reporters, Mr Trump said "Italy has not been of any help," and added "Spain has been horrible". He also claimed European-linked ships used the strait of Hormuz.
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Guido Crosetto, Italy’s defence minister, rejected Mr Trump's comments. "As is clear to everyone, we didn't use Hormuz. And we also made ourselves available for a mission to protect shipping. This was greatly appreciated by the American military," he said to Italian press agency ANSA.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. (Image: Getty)
At the end of March, Spain has its airspace to the US aircrafts as it took a stringent step towards the “illegal” war with Iran. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that they have prohibited the use of the Rota (Cádiz) and Morón de la Frontera (Seville) air bases by fighter jets or aerial refueling aircraft cooperating in the attack.
Mr Trump also previously threatened to expel Spain from the Atlantic alliance, over the country's position on the Middle East conflict and its refusal to raise military spending to the 5% of GDP required by NATO. It is understood there are 13,000 American soldiers in Italy across various bases, and 4,000 in Spain.
The US President's threats also come after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed the US "obviously went into this war without any strategy". Mr Merz also added that Tehran's leadership is "humiliating an entire nation".
Mr Trump also told the German Chancellor to focus on "Ukraine and its ruined country" rather than Iran.
Berlin has responded to the announcement of an "early decision" on US troop reductions by saying it is prepared for this scenario, ANSA also reported.
Johann Wadephul, Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister, said: "We are prepared for this, we are discussing it thoroughly and in a spirit of trust with all NATO bodies, and we await decisions from the Americans on this matter."
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