By Shelby Holliday, Michael R. Gordon and Vera Bergengruen
DOW JONES–US President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 US soldiers from Germany. This deepens the conflict between Washington and Berlin and NATO allies over their reluctance to support the war in Iran, officials said. The Pentagon had previously said the longer-term goal was for Europe to take the lead in its own conventional defense and for the American military presence on the continent to be gradually reduced.
But the timing of Trump’s announcement surprised European nations and even some U.S. military officials, according to people familiar with some of the planning. It came days after Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized Trump’s handling of the war in Iran, saying the Iranian leadership was humiliating the US and that he saw no US exit strategy.
A senior US defense official said the comments were inappropriate and unhelpful and that Trump was “right to respond to these counterproductive comments.” The announcement also comes as the US seeks to form an international coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had previously called on European countries to do more to ease the passage of ships through the narrow waterway, which Iran has blocked with attacks and demands since the start of the war.
With more than 36,000 US troops in the country, Germany is the largest American military base in Europe and has been used by the US to project power in the Middle East. Bases in the country have served as key logistics hubs and refueling stops for Operation Epic Fury, as the U.S. military campaign against Iran is known.
This decision follows a thorough review of the force posture in Europe, said Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the Pentagon. “We expect the withdrawal to be completed in the next six to 12 months.” Senior defense officials said the decision would lead to the relocation of an Army brigade. It will also reverse a decision by the Biden administration to move a battalion of long-range conventional missiles to Germany later this year.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 03, 2026 09:16 ET (13:16 GMT)
