The Pentagon is preparing to withdraw about 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, according to CBS News, citing senior defense officials, as part of a broader reassessment of American force posture in Europe.
Officials told CBS News the move reflects President Trump’s frustration with what he views as limited NATO alignment with U.S. objectives in the confrontation involving Iran.
The decision comes amid a recent public clash between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Iran policy, with Merz arguing that the United States lacked a coherent strategy and suggesting Washington had been “humiliated” in talks with Iranian negotiators, according to CBS News.
Trump responded on Truth Social, calling Merz “wrong” and accusing him of interfering with U.S. efforts to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while Merz later said he remained on good terms with the president, CBS News reported.
Trump has also privately and publicly raised the possibility of reducing U.S. troop levels in other European Union countries, officials said, as tensions grow over allied burden-sharing and strategy.
Germany currently hosts more than 36,000 active-duty U.S. troops along with thousands of additional personnel, making it one of the largest overseas American military presences, according to Defense Department figures cited by CBS News.
That presence includes key command hubs such as U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, as well as Ramstein Air Base, which serves as a major operational center.
Officials said some of the troops being pulled from Germany could later be reassigned abroad after returning to the United States, as part of a shift toward prioritizing homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific region, CBS News reported.
The drawdown is not expected to affect medical evacuation or treatment operations at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest U.S. military hospital outside the United States, officials said.
Defense officials said the reduction would include the removal of one brigade combat team and the reassignment of a long-range fires battalion that had been scheduled for deployment to Germany.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the changes would be implemented over six to 12 months following a review of force posture and operational requirements, according to CBS News reporting.
Trump had signaled earlier in the week that troop levels in Germany were under review, following rising tensions with Merz over Iran strategy and NATO’s role in the conflict.
The episode underscores broader strains between the administration and NATO allies, many of whom have resisted direct involvement in U.S. military action against Iran while facing economic pressures linked to disrupted energy flows.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO as overly dependent on the United States and has long pushed for European allies to assume greater responsibility for regional security, including the war in Ukraine.
He previously proposed major troop reductions in Germany during his first term, a plan that was later reversed by the Biden administration, CBS News reported.
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