Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 2, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 2, 2026
US pulling 5,000 troops from Germany amid spat over Iran war
US Vice President JD Vance visits with service members during a refueling stop at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, April 24, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)
WASHINGTON — The United States is withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany, the Pentagon announces, in an apparent US rebuke to the close NATO ally amid a widening rift between President Donald Trump and Europe over the Iran war.
Trump had threatened a drawdown in forces earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday the Iranians were humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month-old war.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell says the withdrawal was expected to be completed over the next six to twelve months.
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