US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany in row over Iran conflict

donald trump is pulling 5,000 us troops out of germany — a direct retaliation against chancellor friedrich merz, who had publicly criticized the us-israeli military campaign in iran. the withdrawal cuts the american presence in germany by roughly a third. merz had been vocal in his opposition to the us-led strikes, calling them disproportionate and warning they risked destabilizing the entire middle east. trump, according to officials, took the criticism personally and ordered the drawdown without consulting nato allies. the affected units include logistics and aviation support, not frontline combat forces. german defense officials said the move undermines decades of joint basing arrangements and complicates supply routes for us operations in the middle east. the first troops are expected to leave within 60 days.