U.S. Army V Corps soldiers salute during a color covering ceremony to mark the departure of V Corps headquarters from Europe at the U.S. Army Base in Wiesbaden, Germany, May 10, 2012.
Ralph Orlowski Getty Images News | getty images
Amid growing dispute with Berlin over the Iran war, President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US is considering reducing the number of its troops deployed in Germany.
“The United States is studying and reviewing possible troop reductions in Germany, which it has determined will be carried out in the next short period of time.” Trump posted Thursday night on social media platform Truth Social.
As of December 2025, the US had more than 36,000 active-duty military personnel at 20 bases in Germany. data From the US Defense Manpower Data Center, representing the largest such cohort in Europe.
Many soldiers and their families are based at Ramstein Air Base, which serves as a major transportation hub and command center for U.S. military operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A significant number are also based at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the largest US Army training facility in Europe.
Analysts suggest troop withdrawal to Germany would be a logistical headache and ultimately harm American interests.
The president did not provide further details about the review, but any move to withdraw troops would be a blow to NATO allies in Europe that value the US presence as a key deterrent against threats such as Russia.
tit for tat
Trump’s remarks come at a time when relations with his German counterpart Chancellor Friedrich Merz appear to be deteriorating.
The German leader had raised Washington’s concerns earlier this week by saying The US was being “humiliated” by the Iranian regime as a result of ongoing talks with White House officials to end the conflict.
Talks appear to have stalled as Trump reportedly rejected an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and ends the war, White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt confirmed on Monday.
Germany’s leader said Monday that it appeared the Iranians were tricking US authorities.
“The Iranians are clearly very adept at negotiating, or very adept at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave without any consequences,” Merz told university students on Monday.
“The entire country is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope this ends as quickly as possible.” Marz addedEchoing other European leaders who have called for a quick resolution to the conflict, which has caused oil prices and energy costs to rise.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks to US President Donald Trump before the start of the North Atlantic Council Plenary meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025.
Ludovic Marin | via reuters
Trump fired back at Merz’s comments, posting on Truth Social that Merz thinks “It’s OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, economically and otherwise!” Trump commented.
When asked about his relationship with Trump during a press conference on Wednesday, Merz said, “The personal relationship between the American President and I remains as good as ever.”