US-Germany spat over Iran intensifies as Hegseth orders troop removal

German defence minister says Europe must look after itself, as 5,000 American troops set to leave Germany

By MEE staff

Published date: 2 May 2026

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-germany-spat-over-iran-intensifies-hegseth-orders-troop-removal

The spat between the US and Germany over the war on Iran is intensifying after Washington announced the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops from German soil. 

Responding to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's order on Friday, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday that "Europeans must take responsibility for our own security".

Pistorius said the US move to withdraw troops from Germany, its largest European base, had been expected.

US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have been sparring all week over the war on Iran. 

Merz has said that the US is being "humiliated" by Iran's leadership and has suggested that Tehran is outwitting the White House at the negotiating table. 

The German leader has criticised the US for entering the war without a clear plan, saying that this complicates efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

“The problem with conflicts like these is always the same: it’s not just about getting in; you also have to get out. We saw that all too painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq,” he said last week.

Merz's interventions have infuriated Trump. “The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump posted earlier this week.

The US president also threatened to withdraw forces from Germany in response to Merz's remarks.

German military infrastructure

The New York Times, citing defence officials, reported that the US relies heavily on its bases in Germany to conduct operations across the Middle East, Europe and Africa, underscoring the strategic importance of the deployment. 

The US presence includes the vast Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, both of which have supported operations related to the war on Iran, as well as previous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pistorius said the partial withdrawal would affect a current US presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany, Reuters reported. Other estimates put the active-duty troop presence at around 35,000.

“Germany is on the right track,” Pistorius said, referring to his country's plans to expand its armed forces, speed up military procurement and build military infrastructure.

Trump has consistently - even before entering politics - complained about what he sees as excessive US support for its allies.

In 1987, the then-real estate developer spent nearly $100,000 on an advert criticising US foreign policy in major American newspapers.

“For decades, Japan and other nations have been taking advantage of the United States,” the letter stated. “The saga continues unabated as we defend the Persian Gulf, an area of only marginal significance to the United States for its oil supplies, but one upon which Japan and others are almost totally dependent.

“Why are these nations not paying the United States for the human lives and billions of dollars we are losing to protect their interests?”

Germany wants to boost the number of its active-duty army soldiers from a current 185,000 to 260,000, Reuters reported, though critics of Pistorius have called for further expansion in response to what is widely seen as a growing threat from Russia.

Nato members have pledged to take on more responsibility for their own defence. However, tight budgets and significant gaps in military capability mean it will take years for the region to meet its security needs.