The Iran-US war has put to test Washington’s allegiance with other countries especially the NATO allies in Europe. Germany might be the latest highlight in this as the Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Saturday. Track updates on Iran US war
The timing of the troop exit is interesting as it comes days after US President Donald Trump sparred with German chancellor Friedrich Merz as he questioned Washington’s exit strategy in the Middle East.
Though Trump had called for a reduced military presence in Germany since his first term and has repeatedly urged Europe to take responsibility for its defence, the sudden exit hints at strained ties.
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The war that started with joint US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 has threatened global energy supplies. The heads of several countries are concerned as rising energy prices are rendering huge blows to economies. For example, many airlines have started cutting down on flights as jet fuel prices are rising.
What is the US plan for troop exit for Germany?
The US has ordered the drawdown of roughly 5,000 troops from Germany over the next year.
The United States had approximately 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in its overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025, Reuters reported citing data from the US Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). These do not include rotational forces sent on deployment and exercise missions.
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The US military is spread over 31 permanent bases and a further 19 military sites to which the Department of Defense has access as of March 2024, according to Congress report quoted by Reuters.
What Pentagon said on withdrawing troops
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the âdecision follows a thorough review of the Departmentâs force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.â
The number of troops leaving Germany would be 14% of the 36,000 American service members stationed there, according to the Associated Press.
Germany’s reaction on Pentagon move
German defense minister Boris Pistorius termed the Pentagon move to withdraw troops from Germany as âforeseeableâ.
âThe presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US,â Pistorius was quoted as saying by German news agency dpa. He said the European allies needed to adjust their defense postures.
âWe Europeans must take on more responsibility for our security,â he was quoted as saying.
Trump reportedly ignored questions from the press about the withdrawal as he boarded Air Force One in Ocala, Florida.
Trigger point Middle East
While Trump had said during his first term that the US would pull about 9,500 of the roughly 34,500 US troops stationed in Germany, he didnât start the process. Former president Joe Biden who succeeded him, formally stopped the planned withdrawal soon after taking office in 2021.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump wrote that the US was reviewing possible troop reductions in Germany, with a âdeterminationâ to be made soon. A day later he made a sharp attack on Merz and said the German leader should âspend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraineâ and âfixing his broken Countryâ than concerning himself with Iran.