US President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, accusing him of performing poorly domestically while the two leaders clash over the Iran war. Trump’s remarks came during an Oval Office event on Thursday, where he claimed Merz is struggling with energy and immigration issues at home and has failed to help resolve the Ukraine conflict.
“He’s doing a terrible job,” Trump said. “And he’s got a big problem with Ukraine, because they’re in that mess.” The US President continued his attack on Truth Social, urging Merz to “spend more time ending the war with Russia/Ukraine” and “fixing his broken Country,” rather than interfering with efforts to eliminate the Iran nuclear threat.
The dispute stems from Merz’s criticism of US-Israeli military operations in Iran. On Monday, Merz stated that “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards,” and expressed hope for a swift resolution. He also criticized Washington for lacking a clear exit strategy and for not consulting Germany before launching attacks. “If I had known that it would continue like this for five or six weeks and get progressively worse, I would have told him even more emphatically,” Merz said.
On Tuesday, Trump scolded Merz on Truth Social, claiming the German leader “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” after suggesting Iran should be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Merz attempted to de-escalate tensions on Wednesday, insisting their relationship remains “as good as ever” and that they are “on good speaking terms.” He framed his criticism as a response to the economic fallout of the conflict, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up energy costs in Europe.
While Germany initially supported the war when it began on February 28, Berlin has since hardened its stance, rejecting calls for transatlantic military involvement and insisting the conflict “is not NATO’s war.” Germany has only offered limited assistance, such as minesweepers to secure the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities cease.
In response to Germany’s lack of support, Washington is considering reducing the number of US troops stationed there. Trump announced on Truth Social that “the United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time.” As of December 2025, the US had over 68,000 active-duty military personnel in Europe, with more than half—about 36,400—based in Germany. This is a fraction of the 250,000 troops stationed there in 1985 before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Trump has expanded the threat to include troops in Italy and Spain, stating, “Italy has not been of any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely.” There are over 12,600 US personnel in Italy and more than 3,800 in Spain.
Meanwhile, Trump was due to receive a briefing on Thursday about plans for fresh military strikes on Iran to compel negotiations. CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper was set to present a plan for a “short and powerful” wave of strikes targeting key infrastructure. US Central Command is pushing to deploy Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles, with a reported range of 1,725 miles, designed for “long range conventional precision strike capability” against “time-sensitive and heavily defended targets.” If approved, this would be the first deployment of such missiles, of which no more than eight exist.
However, a senior member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that any US attack, even if limited, would provoke “long and painful strikes” on US regional positions. Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi stated, “We’ve seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships.”
