US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of around 5,000 American soldiers stationed in Germany, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The drawdown, which would cut US troop numbers in Germany by 14%, is to be completed over the next six to 12 months, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
"The 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," he added.
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The announcement came a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut US troop numbers in Germany, and criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had said the US was being "humiliated" by Iran.
Trump lashed out at Merz over his criticism of the Iran war, saying that the German leader "doesn't know what he's talking about!" and calling him "totally ineffective."
On Friday, Trump also announced an increase in tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union, a move that will hit Germany hardest.
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A senior Pentagon official told Reuters that recent German rhetoric had been "inappropriate and unhelpful."
"The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks," the news agency quoted the unnamed official as saying.
Senior German military officials told Reuters they were surprised by the announcement that followed what they described as constructive meetings at the Pentagon earlier in the day.
They point to the fact that Germany allowed US overflight rights for the operation in Iran and permission to use US bases in Germany, unlike some other European nations.
Some of the US troops wounded in the war were also treated at the Landstuhl military hospital near Ramstein Air Base.
US troop reduction was 'foreseeable'
On Saturday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Washington's decision "was foreseeable," but insisted that the presence of US troops remained in the interests of both countries.
Pistorius said the US-German cooperation was vital "for peace and security in Europe, for Ukraine, and for joint deterrence." But he also emphasized the need for a more self-reliant Europe within NATO.
"We Europeans must assume more responsibility for our security. Germany is on the right track. We are growing: Our Bundeswehr is expanding, we are procuring more equipment faster and focusing on innovation, and we are building more [defense] infrastructure."
NATO echoed those remarks on Saturday, saying it was "working" with Washington to understand the reason for the troop reduction.
"This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defence and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security where we're already seeing progress since Allies agreed to invest 5% of GDP," NATO spokeswoman Alison Hart wrote on X.
"We remain confident in our ability to provide for our deterrence and defence as this shift towards a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO continues."
How many troops does the US have in Germany?
The US currently has more forces in Germany than anywhere else in Europe, dating from the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War.
Some 36,000 active-duty personnel are stationed in Germany, according to the US Defense Manpower Data Center, as well as over 13,000 National Guard, reserve, and civilian personnel.
This includes personnel at Ramstein in southwestern Germany, regarded as the US' largest overseas air force base.
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The US has several other major military facilities in Germany, including the headquarters for US European Command and US Africa Command.
After Germany, which is home to five of the seven US garrisons in Europe, the United Kingdom and Italy have the biggest presence of US personnel on the continent.
Edited by: Rana Taha, Louis Oelofse