The US Department of Defense has decided to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. The decision came at a time when US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merkel were in a heated argument over the Iran war. The German chancellor had said that the Iranian negotiator had insulted the US. Then on Thursday, Trump wrote on social media, “Merger is doing a very bad job and has a lot of problems, including immigration and energy.” Trump has also suggested withdrawing US troops from Italy and Spain. The US military has a large presence in Germany. As of last December, there were more than 36,000 active duty troops there. According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the order to withdraw the troops came from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. ‘This decision was taken after a thorough review of the military situation in Europe and the situation there,’ he said, ‘and the withdrawal of troops will be completed in the next six to 12 months.’ US President Donald Trump is at odds with many European countries. He had sought their help in his campaign to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but he did not get support.