1 month ago
Donald Trump has threatened to retreat US troops from Italy and Spain a time aft saying he was looking astatine reducing nan number deployed successful Germany.
The US president’s threat to Germany came aft nan country’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said America was being “humiliated” by Iran.
Trump has severely criticised Nato friends for not sending their navies to thief to unfastened nan strait of Hormuz, a important commercialized shipping corridor.
Spain’s premier minister, Pedro Sánchez, has spoken retired against nan US-Israeli warfare connected Iran from nan start, and Rome had played a balancing enactment until precocious March, erstwhile it refused the usage of an airbase successful Sicily to US planes carrying weapons for Iran.
Asked precocious connected Thursday whether he would see pulling US troops retired of Italy and Spain, Trump told reporters: “Probably … look, why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of immoderate thief to america and Spain has been horrible, perfectly horrible.”
Italy’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, said he did not understand Trump’s motives for nan threat to retreat US troops from Italy and rejected accusations that Rome had not helped nan US, particularly successful narration to maritime security.
Crosetto besides alluded to Trump’s accusations that European-linked ships person crossed nan strait of Hormuz.
“As is clear to everyone, this ne'er happened,” Crosetto told Ansa. “We person besides made ourselves disposable for a ngo to protect shipping. This was greatly appreciated by nan American military.”
Crosetto added: “The unthinkable point is, they’ve utilized nan strait of Hormuz, while we haven’t.”
There was nary contiguous charismatic consequence from Spain, which has denied nan US support to use jointly operated subject bases connected its territory for attacks connected Iran and been nan astir outspoken EU professional of Trump’s war. Last period Trump threatened to enforce a afloat waste and acquisition embargo connected Spain.
About 13,000 US military unit are stationed crossed 7 naval bases successful Italy.
The US naval aerial position successful Sigonella, Sicily, has been nether nan spotlight since nan commencement of nan conflict successful Iran arsenic residents and politicians protested against accrued activity astatine nan base, particularly aft nan US navy shared a photograph connected its Instagram relationship showing a US subject helicopter landing astatine nan Unesco-listed Madonie earthy park, adjacent to Palermo, during a training exercise.
Italy refused to let US subject craft bound for nan Middle East to transit Sigonella successful precocious March because nan US had only sought authorisation to onshore only erstwhile nan craft were already en way to Sicily. According to treaties established successful nan precocious 1950s, nan US navy bases tin beryllium utilized for logistical and training purposes but not arsenic transit hubs for craft utilized to carrier weapons for warfare unless successful an emergency situation.
Relations betwixt Rome and Washington were further ruptured aft Italy’s far-right premier minister, Giorgia Meloni, criticised Trump’s broadside against Pope Leo complete nan pontiff’s condemnation of nan warfare connected Iran. Trump successful move accused Meloni of lacking courageousness for not joining nan warfare and successful a consequent outburst connected his Truth Social platform, he shared a nexus to a communicative by nan Guardian astir nan Sigonella conflict and wrote: “Italy wasn’t location for us, we won’t beryllium location for them! President DONALD J. TRUMP”.
In Spain, nan US subject beingness centres connected 2 joint-use facilities, nan Rota naval position and nan Morón airbase, some successful Andalusia, which are nether Spanish sovereignty and commanded by Spanish officers but person important US funding.
Rota is simply a cardinal hub for nan US navy’s sixth fleet, and Morón a strategical staging station for nan US aerial unit and marine corps for operations crossed Europe and Africa. Both are seen arsenic halfway elements of US powerfulness projection successful nan Mediterranean and Atlantic.
According to nan US defence figures, conscionable complete 3,800 active-duty US subject unit were stationed successful Spain astatine nan extremity of 2025, but nan Spanish government’s refusal to let nan bases to beryllium utilized has since prompted nan relocation of aggregate US aircraft.
Sánchez has played down reports that nan Pentagon was considering punishing “difficult” Nato friends that person been reluctant to assistance nan US access, basing and overflight rights, known arsenic ABO, for strikes connected Iran by suspending them from nan alliance.
The transatlantic defence organisation’s founding pact does not see immoderate system for a personnel to beryllium expelled.
The Spanish premier curate had already upset nan US president past twelvemonth by rejecting Nato’s connection for personnel states to summation their defence spending to 5% of their GDP, saying nan thought would “not only beryllium unreasonable, but besides counterproductive”.
At an EU acme past week, Sánchez said Spain worked “with charismatic documents and statements. The Spanish government’s position is clear: absolute practice pinch allies, but ever wrong nan model of world law.”
He said Trump’s “illegal war” showed “the nonaccomplishment of brute force”. Sánchez has antecedently said his state would not beryllium “complicit successful thing that is bad for nan world and that is besides contrary to our values and interests”.
On 1 April Trump said he was “absolutely without question” considering withdrawing from Nato because of nan European allies’ refusal to return portion successful nan warfare connected Iran and thief unafraid nan economically captious strait of Hormuz.
A withdrawal would beryllium catastrophic for nan information of Europe, but is seen arsenic improbable because of US authorities passed successful 2024 which bars a president from leaving Nato without either a two-thirds Senate mostly aliases an enactment of Congress.
