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The Pentagon will withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany, a spokesperson for Fox News Digital said.
The redeployment comes amid heightened tensions between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other NATO allies, following tensions over their response to the conflict involving Iran.
“The Secretary of Defense has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital. “This decision follows a comprehensive review of the Department’s position in Europe and is consistent with theater needs and existing conditions.”
“We expect that the withdrawal will be completed in the next six to twelve months,” the statement added.
EUROPEAN LEADERS IN COUNTRIES AS UNSEEN TRUMP LOOMS OVER 20K TROOPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
About 38,000 US troops are currently in Germany, where the US European Command is based at Ramstein Air Base. (Getty Images)
About 38,000 US troops are currently in Germany, where the US European Command is based at Ramstein Air Base. The base and other American installations have long served as key logistics and command centers supporting US military operations in Europe and the Middle East.
The US military presence in Germany has been a point of political debate in recent years. In 2020, Trump ordered the withdrawal of approximately 12,000 troops from the country, but the plan faced bipartisan opposition in Congress and was not completed before President Joe Biden took office.
Merz, speaking on Monday in Marsberg, criticized the approach of the US to Iran, saying that Washington is “humiliated by the Iranian leadership” and expressed the hope that the conflict will end “as soon as possible.”
EU PUSHES END TO IRAN WAR WITH ‘EVERYBODY KEEPING FACE’
President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2026, to discuss issues including the recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran. (Wina McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump’s comments followed those remarks, marking the latest milestone between the two leaders, who have previously clashed over issues including tariffs and defense spending.
On Wednesday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that his administration is “studying and reviewing possible troop reductions in Germany,” adding that a decision would be made “in the next short term.”
He also slammed Merz, saying he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.
TRUMP’S ‘ECONOMIC PROGRESS’ PRESSURES IRAN — BUT CAN TEHRAN PASS THE PRESSURE?
President Donald Trump speaks about the war on Iran from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington on April 1, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole world would be caught.
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“I’m doing something with Iran, right now, that should have been done long ago by other Nations, or Presidents. No wonder Germany is doing so badly, economically, and so on!”
Fox News Digital’s Alex Koch and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
