Pakistan, May 3 -- NATO said on Saturday it was working with the United States to understand Washington's decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany as a rift in transatlantic ties deepens over the Middle East war.

The Pentagon's announcement of the troop withdrawal follows a spat between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday Iran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table. Trump fired back by saying that Merz "doesn't know what he's talking about."

It also came as Trump announced that tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union will increase to 25 percent next week over accusations that the bloc did not comply with a trade deal signed last summer.

Pentagon spokesman Se...