Pentagon Plans To Withdraw 5,000 U.S. Troops From Germany Over Trump-Merz Iran Dispute

The Pentagon plans to withdraw about 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months, a move tied to a public dispute between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S. war with Iran.

BBC reports that the decision comes after Trump criticised Merz, who suggested the US had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators, and that the U.S. Defence Department intends to complete the withdrawal within a defined timetable.

20 Minutes

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, "This decision follows a thorough review of the Department's force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theatre requirements and conditions on the ground," and added, "We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months."

CBS News similarly described the Pentagon’s plan as a signal of Trump’s discontent with the level of assistance European allies have offered in the U.S.-Iran war.

The scale of the U.S. footprint in Germany remains large even after the drawdown: BBC says there were "more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December," while CBS News adds that Germany also hosts nearly 1,500 reservists and 11,500 civilians.

The withdrawal is also framed as part of a broader shift in U.S. priorities, with CBS News saying some forces moved out of Europe may return to the U.S. and then be deployed abroad, describing it as an effort to focus on the Pentagon's priorities in the U.S. homeland and the Indo-Pacific region.

The troop drawdown is presented across outlets as the latest escalation in a dispute rooted in the U.S. war with Iran and disagreements about allied involvement.

BBC says the decision is tied to a spat between Trump and Merz over the war with Iran, noting that Trump criticised Merz after Merz suggested the U.S. had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators.

ABC7 Chicago

Breaking Defense places the decision in a wider context of months of upheaval between the U.S. and NATO allies, listing "US President Donald Trump’s threat to invade Greenland, broader tariff disputes, and, more recently, US-Israel military operations against Iran" as part of the backdrop.

Al Jazeera adds that the withdrawal comes as Trump feuds with European allies for not doing more to assist in the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, and it quotes NATO’s position that the alliance is assessing details of the force posture decision.

In the BBC account, Merz told university students that "The Americans clearly have no strategy" and said he could not see "what strategic exit" the U.S. might choose, while he described the Iranian leadership as "very skilled at negotiating" or "very skilful at not negotiating."

BBC also reports that Trump responded on Truth Social by saying Merz thought it was "OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon" and that "No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!"

German officials and NATO figures reacted in ways that emphasized both anticipation of the move and the need for Europe to take more responsibility.

“Il Pentagono annuncia la "revisione della presenza" in Europa: i militari lasceranno il territorio tedesco nei prossimi 6-12 mesi Gli Stati Uniti ritirano circa 5”

Adnkronos

BBC quotes Defence Minister Boris Pistorius telling the German Press Agency in Berlin that "the presence of American soldiers in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US" while also saying the decision did not come as a surprise and that it "was foreseeable."

Al Jazeera reports that Pistorius said Germany had anticipated a US drawback and that Europeans must take greater responsibility for their own security, adding that he pointed to "the expansion of its armed forces, the greater and faster procurement of equipment and the construction of infrastructure."

NATO’s spokesperson Allison Hart, as quoted by Al Jazeera, said the U.S. decision "underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defence and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security."

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell’s statement was repeated across outlets, including the line that the decision follows a "thorough review" and that the withdrawal would be completed "over the next six to 12 months."

CBS News adds that the Pentagon said the withdrawal will not affect transport or care of injured troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and it identifies Landstuhl as "the largest U.S. hospital abroad" where casualties from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were treated.

While the core facts of a roughly 5,000-troop withdrawal and a six-to-12-month completion window appear consistently, outlets differ in emphasis—especially on what the move signals about alliance politics and U.S. objectives.

BBC focuses on the immediate trigger, describing the decision as coming amid a spat between Trump and Merz over Iran and detailing Trump’s Truth Social attacks, including that Merz was "doing a terrible job" and that he had "problems of all kinds."

Agenparl

Breaking Defense emphasizes the Pentagon’s procedural rationale and the broader turbulence in U.S.-NATO relations, stating that the order follows a "thorough review" and noting that the announcement comes after months of upheaval including "broader tariff disputes" and "US-Israel military operations against Iran."

Euronews frames the decision as fulfilling earlier threats and ties it to the war’s impact on global oil prices, saying the conflict "upended the Middle East and caused a global oil price crisis," while also quoting Democrats’ pushback through Senator Jack Reed’s warning that the move will benefit Vladimir Putin and weaken U.S. security interests.

NPR similarly highlights congressional and think-tank reaction, quoting Senator Jack Reed saying, "suggests American commitments to our allies are dependent on the president's mood," and quoting Bradley Bowman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies about deterrence and projection of U.S. power.

upday News adds a different numeric framing by saying the decision will reduce the presence from "circa 38.000 a 33.000 unità" and claims that the U.S. maintains "circa 86.000 soldati in Europa."

The consequences of the drawdown are described as immediate for alliance planning and longer-term for deterrence and security responsibilities.

“NATO says it is assessing the details of the United States’s decision to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany, a key partner in the Western security alliance, amid tensions over the war on Iran”

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reports that NATO is working with the U.S. to understand the details of the decision on force posture in Germany, describing a process the Pentagon estimates will unfold over the next six to 12 months, and it quotes NATO’s Allison Hart saying the shift underscores Europe’s need to invest more in defense.

Al Jazeera

NPR says the withdrawal drew swift pushback from Democrats in Congress and a hawkish Washington think tank, with Senator Jack Reed warning that the move will benefit Vladimir Putin and weaken U.S. security interests, and Reed urging the president to cease the action before it causes "irreversible consequences for our alliances and long-term national security."

CBS News adds operational detail by saying the withdrawal will impact one brigade combat team in Germany and that a long-range fires battalion set to deploy to Germany later this year will be reassigned, while also stating that the move will not affect transport or care of injured troops at Landstuhl.

The NPR account provides additional context about U.S. troop levels and the proportionality of the drawdown, saying the number of troops leaving Germany would be 14% of the 36,000 American service members stationed there, and it notes that Ed Arnold of the Royal United Services Institute said Europe is more concerned about issues like a U.S. redeployment of Patriot missile systems and ammunition from Germany to the Middle East.

The BBC reporting adds that Trump has suggested pulling troops from Italy and Spain, with Trump responding, "I probably will - look, why shouldn't I?"