The Pentagon has confirmed plans to remove roughly 5,000 American troops from Germany, a move that comes as relations between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have grown increasingly strained over policy disagreements, particularly regarding Iran.

A Defense Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the redeployment was ordered following a broader evaluation of military positioning in Europe.

“The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.

“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.

“We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to 12 months.”

The United States currently maintains about 38,000 service members in Germany, including at Ramstein Air Base, which serves as a major headquarters for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. American installations in the country have long functioned as central hubs for operations across Europe and the Middle East.

The American military footprint in Germany has been a recurring point of contention in Washington. In 2020, Trump directed the removal of approximately 12,000 troops, though that effort was met with opposition from both parties in Congress and was not fully carried out before Joe Biden assumed office.

Merz, speaking earlier this week in Marsberg, voiced criticism of U.S. policy toward Iran, saying Washington was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership” and expressing hope that the conflict would conclude “as quickly as possible.”

Those remarks drew a sharp response from Trump, adding to a series of disagreements between the two leaders on matters such as tariffs and defense contributions.

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump said his administration was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany,” noting that a decision would be reached “over the next short period of time.”

He also directly criticized Merz’s stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.

“I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”