Senior German military officials told Reuters they were surprised by the announcement that followed what they described as constructive meetings at the Pentagon earlier in the day.

They point to the fact that Germany allowed US overflight rights for the operation in Iran and permission to use US bases in Germany, unlike some other European nations.

Some of the US troops wounded in the war were also treated at the Landstuhl military hospital near Ramstein Air Base.

For Trump, words are much more important than facts, like those listed above. So he reacted immediately after hearing that the German Chancellor had said that US was being "humiliated" by Iran.