Washington DC [US], May 2 : The Trump administration is preparing to withdraw around 5,000 American troops from Germany, in a move that signals growing tensions between Washington and key European allies over support for US military operations involving Iran, according to CBS News.
According to CBS News, senior defence officials said that the Pentagon is planning the partial drawdown amid what they described as President Donald Trump's dissatisfaction with NATO allies' level of involvement in the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
The officials said the move reflects frustration with European governments, particularly Germany, over what the administration views as insufficient backing during the military campaign.
Trump had publicly criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other NATO leaders for not taking a more direct role in supporting US operations against Iran, according to the news report.
The United States maintains a major military footprint in Germany dating back to the aftermath of World War II and the Cold War. As of last December, more than 36,000 active-duty personnel were stationed across various bases in Germany, along with 1,500 reservists and 11,500 civilian employees, CBS News reported, citing Defence Department figures.
Germany also hosts key US military installations, including the headquarters of US European Command and US Africa Command, as well as Ramstein Air Base, a critical logistics and operational hub for American global missions.
According to the news report, some of the troops being withdrawn may be reassigned after returning to the United States, with potential redeployments to other regions, including the Indo-Pacific, as part of a broader strategic realignment of US forces.
Defence officials clarified that the drawdown will not impact medical evacuation routes or operations at Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre, the largest US military hospital abroad, which continues to treat service members injured in overseas operations, CBS News reported.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) said that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is doing a "terrible job" back at home, asking the latter to focus on the domestic problems as the rift between the two intensifies over the handling of the conflict in Iran.
At an executive order signing event in the Oval Office, Trump said, "The German chancellor is doing a terrible job. He's got immigration and energy problems, and a problem with Ukraine. He criticised me for Iran, so I asked him, "Would you like Iran to have a nuclear weapon?" He said no. I said, "Well then, I guess I'm right."
In a similar remark on a Truth Social post, Trump said Merz should focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as stop interfering with the countries trying to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, Trump's call to reduce US troops in Germany had surprised many at the Pentagon, Politico reported.
A congressional aide told Politico that," The Pentagon was not expecting it and has not been planning any kind of drawdown. But we have to take him seriously because he was serious about it during his first administration."
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