Trump is considering reducing troop levels in Spain and Italy due to ongoing disagreements over the Iran war

"Italy has been of no help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible": the American president criticizes his NATO allies for not coming to the aid of the United States since the beginning of the conflict triggered on February 28 by the Israeli-American strikes on Iran.

US President Donald Trump says he is considering withdrawing troops from his country's Spanish and Italian allies because of their opposition to the US-Israeli war in Iran, which has just entered its third month.

These remarks come just a day after the US president proposed a similar cut in Germany, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticising the Trump administration's war strategy, suggesting it was poorly conceived and adding that Tehran was humiliating Washington.

"Yes, probably, I probably will. Why wouldn't I?" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about Spain and Italy.

"Italy was of no help to us and Spain was horrible, absolutely horrible."

The US president added that the war in Iran was helping the whole world, including Spain, Italy and Germany, and criticized what he called the "so-called allies" for not participating in their efforts to "eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat".

As of December 31, 2025, there were 36,436 active-duty U.S. troops in Germany, 12,662 in Italy, and 3,814 in Spain. The extent of the reduction envisioned by the Trump administration is unclear, but some U.S. media outlets have suggested it could be significant.

The White House occupant has strongly criticized NATO allies for their failure to contribute to the Israeli-American "operation" against Iran or to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to oil tankers, cargo and maritime traffic.

Following criticism last month by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Trump's war, the US president launched a surprise attack on his former close right-wing ally, declaring that she "lacked courage" for not resisting domestic pressure and for not publicly supporting or endorsing the war effort.

However, its disputes with Spain go back further, with criticism initially focusing on Spain's position towards Israel during the war against Gaza, and later on disagreements with Madrid regarding increased NATO defense spending.

The US president had asked all NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP, which they all agreed to at the NATO summit in The Hague last year, with the exception of Spain, whose Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he would only do what is beneficial for his country, and chose to keep spending at the same level.

Since then, the Trump administration has attacked Spain on numerous occasions, threatening to cut off trade with the Iberian nation and, more recently, calling for its withdrawal from the defense alliance.

Last week, a report indicated that the United States was again considering trying to suspend Spain from NATO because of its refusal to support Washington's war in Iran, which has shaken the entire region and sent global oil prices soaring.

The price of Brent crude, the international standard, closed Friday evening at around $114, a dramatic rise from pre-war prices of just $70 a barrel.