The Pentagon announced on Friday the planned withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, highlighting tensions between Berlin and President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking to Reuters, criticized recent statements from Germany about the conflict, labeling them as “inappropriate and unhelpful.” The official stated, “The president is rightly responding to these counterproductive remarks.”
The troop reduction is anticipated to be carried out over a period of 6 to 12 months.
Currently, approximately 35,000 active-duty U.S. military personnel are stationed in Germany.
Earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed that the United States had faced “humiliation by the Iranian leadership.”
“The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,” Merz said.
Meanwhile, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has described the Iran war as a “disastrous mistake,” accusing the US of violating international law.