Trump Considers Withdrawing US Troops From Italy and Spain

President Donald Trump has signaled a potential withdrawal of U.S. Military personnel from Italy and Spain, citing a lack of support from those allies during the conflict with Iran.

When asked if he would consider pulling troops from the two nations, Trump replied, yeah, I probably will. He questioned the utility of the deployments, stating, Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible.

Trump linked these threats to his broader argument that NATO allies have failed to support the United States during the Iran war. He noted that while the U.S. Assisted Europe with Ukraine, when we needed them, they were not there.

According to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), there were 12,662 U.S. Active-duty personnel stationed in Italy and 3,814 in Spain as of December 2025.

Tensions with Spain

The rift with Spain follows a period of vocal opposition from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who described the initial U.S. And Israeli strikes against Iran as illegal.

Spain has taken several concrete steps to distance itself from the conflict, including denying the U.S. Access to joint-military bases for attacks on Iran and closing its airspace to U.S. Aircraft involved in the war.

These actions led Trump to threaten a cut in trade ties with Spain in early March 2026. On April 24, 2026, Sánchez downplayed reports regarding a leaked internal Pentagon email that suggested the U.S. Was considering suspending Spain from NATO to punish difficult allies.

Diplomatic Friction with Italy

Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto pushed back against the President’s claims on May 1, 2026. Speaking to the Italian ANSA news agency, Crosetto stated that he did not understand the reasons behind the potential withdrawal.

I wouldn’t understand the reasons behind it. As is clear to anyone, we haven’t used the Strait of Hormuz. And we’ve even offered to carry out a mission to protect shipping—a gesture that, incidentally, was greatly appreciated by the U.S. Military

Guido Crosetto, Italian Defense Minister

Despite these offers, tensions rose after Italy denied the use of a Sicilian airbase to U.S. Military aircraft, citing a failure to follow proper authorization procedures. Trump responded by insisting, Italy wasn’t there for us, we won’t be there for them.

Further diplomatic strain emerged from a public feud between Trump and Pope Leo. After the Pontiff called for an end to the war in Iran on April 11, 2026, Trump accused him of being weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended the religious leader, stating that Trump’s words regarding the Holy Father were unacceptable and that it was right and normal for the Pope to call for peace.

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera on April 26, 2026, Trump shifted his criticism to Meloni, calling her unacceptable and claiming she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon.

Broader European and Global Impact

The threats against Italy and Spain mirror a warning issued to Germany on April 29, 2026. Trump stated that the U.S. Is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a decision expected in a short period of time.

This friction follows a row with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who claimed the U.S. Is being humiliated by Iranian leadership amid the breakdown of negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Trump responded by telling Merz to focus on domestic matters instead of interfering with the Iran war.

These diplomatic breakdowns occur as the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz and affect global markets.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned on May 1, 2026, that the consequences of the crisis are growing worse.

The curtailment of navigational rights and freedoms in the area of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts energy, transport, manufacturing and food markets, and strangles the global economy

António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

Guterres called for the full reopening of the Strait and urged for dialogue and measures to establish a durable peace.