The Pentagon plans to withdraw about 5,000 American forces from Germany over the next six to 12 months, according to senior defense officials. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the withdrawal will take place over that timeframe.

Senior defense officials said the withdrawal signals President Trump's discontent with European allies' assistance in the U.S.-Iran war. Trump publicly criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other NATO leaders for not directly participating in the U.S. military campaign against Iran, and hinted earlier in the week that he was considering troop reductions in Germany.

Defense officials said the withdrawal will impact one brigade combat team in Germany. A long-range fires battalion that was set to deploy to Germany later this year will be reassigned. Some U.S. forces being withdrawn from Europe may return to the United States and then be deployed abroad to focus on Pentagon priorities in the U.S. homeland and the Indo-Pacific region, defense officials said. The withdrawals will not affect the transport or care of injured troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the largest U.S. hospital operating abroad, which has treated U.S. forces injured by Iranian strikes.

According to Defense Department figures, more than 36,000 active duty troops were assigned to bases throughout Germany as of last December, along with nearly 1,500 reservists and 11,500 civilians. Japan is the only foreign country with a larger presence of U.S. troops. Germany is home to the headquarters of U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, and Ramstein Air Base is a hub for U.S. military operations. The number of brigade combat teams in Europe increased following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. military has maintained forces in Germany since the aftermath of World War II and the Cold War.

Merz said the United States had no strategy on Iran and was being humiliated by Iranian negotiators. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Merz did not know what he was talking about and was interfering with those addressing the Iran nuclear threat. Merz later said he is still on good terms with the president.

Many NATO allies have not directly joined the U.S. war with Iran and have faced higher energy prices due to disrupted fuel shipments. Trump threatened to leave NATO, calling the alliance a "paper tiger" for not entering the war. A 2023 law prohibits the president from withdrawing the United States from NATO without congressional approval. Trump has accused NATO members of not spending enough on their militaries and relying too much on the United States, and has argued that European countries should shoulder more responsibility for aiding Ukraine as it deals with a Russian invasion that exceeded four years in February.

Trump proposed withdrawing thousands of troops from Germany toward the end of his first term. That proposed withdrawal was later canceled.