{"id":907997,"date":"2026-05-24T12:18:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T17:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/24\/us-to-pull-5000-troops-from-germany-after-rift-over-iran-war\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T12:18:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T17:18:49","slug":"us-to-pull-5000-troops-from-germany-after-rift-over-iran-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/24\/us-to-pull-5000-troops-from-germany-after-rift-over-iran-war\/","title":{"rendered":"US to Pull 5,000 Troops From Germany After Rift Over Iran War"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

WASHINGTON, USA \u2014 The United States will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany, Pentagon officials said on Friday, May 1, 2026, a move that followed a public dispute between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran.<\/p>\n

The withdrawal will include a brigade combat team and other forces stationed in Germany, officials said.<\/p>\n

It is not expected to affect major U.S. medical facilities in the country, including Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, which has treated American service members injured in the conflict.<\/p>\n

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon\u2019s chief spokesman, said the drawdown would take place over the next six to 12 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision follows a thorough review of the Department\u2019s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,\u201d Parnell said.<\/p>\n

Tensions Over Iran<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A senior Pentagon official said the decision was linked to Merz\u2019s criticism of the administration\u2019s handling of the war, as well as Trump\u2019s broader frustration with European allies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Europeans have not stepped up when America needed them,\u201d the official said. \u201cThis cannot be a one-way street.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merz, speaking to students in Germany this week, criticised Washington\u2019s approach to the conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Americans obviously have no strategy,\u201d he said, comparing the situation to earlier U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. \u201cThis situation is, as I said, at least ill-considered and I do not see at the moment what strategic exit the Americans are choosing now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump responded sharply online, accusing Merz of misunderstanding the threat from Iran and criticising Germany\u2019s economic and political standing.<\/p>\n

Merz later told reporters that his personal relationship with Trump remained good.<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s Role in U.S. Military Operations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Germany hosts about 35,000 U.S. troops, the largest American military presence in Europe.<\/p>\n

The country is home to major installations including Ramstein Air Base, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Hohenfels training centre, U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command.<\/p>\n

German officials have long argued that the American presence benefits both countries by strengthening NATO and supporting U.S. operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the German Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the withdrawal. The White House referred questions to the Pentagon.<\/p>\n

A Long-Running Debate<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The decision revives a debate from Trump\u2019s first term, when he announced plans to remove thousands of troops from Germany.<\/p>\n

That proposal was later halted by President Joe Biden after he took office in 2021.<\/p>\n

Pentagon policy officials have pushed for years to shift more U.S. military resources away from Europe and the Middle East, with greater attention on the Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n

One Pentagon official said the new withdrawal would return American troop levels in Europe to their 2022 levels.<\/p>\n

It was not immediately clear whether the forces leaving Germany would return to the United States or be reassigned elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Wider Pressure on Allies<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The move comes as the U.S. and Israel-led war with Iran remains under a temporary ceasefire, with diplomatic negotiations continuing and no final agreement in place. Iran\u2019s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved.<\/p>\n

Trump has also suggested that U.S. forces could be withdrawn from Italy and Spain, saying those countries had not provided sufficient support.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t I?\u201d Trump told reporters on Thursday evening. \u201cItaly has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The planned withdrawal from Germany marks one of the administration\u2019s most significant steps so far in reshaping the American military presence in Europe amid widening disagreements with NATO allies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ima Matthew | Sub Editor
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, USA \u2014 The United States will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany, Pentagon officials said on Friday, May 1, 2026, a move that followed a public dispute between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran. The withdrawal will include a brigade combat team and other forces stationed in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":907998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23338,3482],"tags":[16149,6432],"class_list":{"0":"post-907997","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-germany","8":"category-troops","9":"tag-germany","10":"tag-troops"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=907997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/907998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=907997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=907997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=907997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}