Pentagon withdraws 5,000 troops from Germany amid Trump-Merz feud

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The Pentagon will withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany , a spokesperson confirmed to Fox Information Digital.

The redeployment comes amid President Donald Trump’s escalating feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and different NATO allies after tensions over their response to the battle involving Iran.

"The Secretary of Conflict has ordered the withdrawal of roughly 5,000 troops from Germany," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell informed Fox Information Digital.

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"This determination follows an intensive evaluation of the Division’s drive posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater necessities and circumstances on the bottom.

"We anticipate the withdrawal to be accomplished over the subsequent six to 12 months."

About 38,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, the place U.S. European Command is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base. (Getty Photographs)

About 38,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, the place U.S. European Command is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base. The bottom and different American installations have lengthy served as key logistics hubs and command facilities supporting U.S. military operations in Europe and the Center East.

The U.S. troop presence in Germany has been a degree of political debate lately. In 2020, Trump ordered the withdrawal of roughly 12,000 troops from the nation, however the plan confronted bipartisan resistance in Congress and was not accomplished earlier than President Joe Biden took workplace.

Merz, talking Monday in Marsberg, criticized the U.S. approach to Iran , saying Washington was being "humiliated by the Iranian management" and expressing hope the battle would finish "as shortly as doable."

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President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met within the Oval Workplace on the White Home in Washington, D.C., March 3, 2026, to debate points together with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. (Win McNamee/Getty Photographs)

Trump’s feedback adopted these remarks, marking the most recent flash level between the 2 leaders, who've beforehand clashed on points, together with tariffs and defense spending .

On Wednesday, Trump mentioned in a Fact Social submit his administration was " studying and reviewing the possible discount of Troops in Germany," including {that a} determination could be made "over the subsequent quick time frame."

He additionally sharply criticized Merz, saying he "doesn’t know what he’s speaking about" relating to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

"The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon ," Trump wrote in a Fact Social submit Tuesday.

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"He doesn’t know what he’s speaking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the entire World could be held hostage.

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"I'm doing one thing with Iran, proper now, that different Nations, or Presidents, ought to have finished way back. No surprise Germany is doing so poorly , each Economically, and in any other case!"

Fox Information Digital's Alex Koch and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.

Brittany Miller is a Breaking Information Author for Fox Information Digital. Suggestions might be despatched to brittany.miller@fox.com and @BrittMillerFox on X.