Trump says US plans to withdraw troops from Germany 'a lot further'

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States plans to withdraw "a lot further" than the 5,000 troops from Germany that the Pentagon had said earlier this week.

"We're going to cut way down, and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida.

The Pentagon on Friday announced the withdrawal of about 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, which is expected to be completed over the next six to 12 months.

"This decision follows a thorough review of the (Defense) Department's force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said Saturday it was working with the United States to understand Washington's decision to withdraw troops from Germany, amid fresh tensions between the United States and Germany over the Middle East crisis.

Earlier, Trump hinted at a troop withdrawal after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran was "humiliating" Washington in negotiations to end the conflict between the two sides.

On Thursday, Trump said he may also reduce U.S. military presence in Spain and Italy, while slamming European allies for not helping in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Germany is prepared for a possible reduction of the U.S. troops in the country, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday.

More than 36,000 U.S. active duty troops were deployed to bases throughout Germany as of the end of last year, along with nearly 1,500 reservists and 11,500 civilians, according to Defense Department data.

Germany also hosts the headquarters of U.S. European Command and Africa Command, and its Ramstein Air Base serves as a key hub for U.S. military operations.

Trump says US plans to withdraw troops from Germany 'a lot further'

Iran's mission to the United Nations on Saturday described the United States as "extremely shameful" for its non-compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

"For 56 years, the U.S.-- possessor of thousands of nuclear warheads and the No. 1 proliferator of such weapons -- has been in clear non-compliance with its nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament obligations under Articles I and VI of the NPT," said the mission in a post on social media platform X.

The mission said the U.S. should not be given any cover for its outrageous and hypocritical behavior.

Legally, there is no restriction on the level of uranium enrichment, so long as it is conducted under the IAEA’s supervision, as was the case with Iran, it said.

The NPT, signed in 1968 and effective since March 5, 1970, is the only treaty that contains legally binding commitments to pursuing nuclear disarmament. A total of 191 states have joined the treaty, including the five nuclear-weapon states, making the NPT the most widely adhered to multilateral disarmament agreement.

According to the NPT, a review conference is held every five years to assess the treaty's implementation.

Iran's UN mission criticizes US non-compliance with NPT as 'extremely shameful'