The US had just over 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in its overseas bases in Europe and more than half are based in Germany
US President Donald Trump has said that his administration is considering reducing American troops in Germany after its Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the Republican leader engaged in a public spat over the
Iran war.
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said on Truth Social.
What did Merz say?
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said Iran’s leadership appears to be
“humiliating” the United States in the ongoing conflict, warning that Washington lacks a clear strategy and a viable exit plan.
Speaking to students in the town of Marsberg, Merz said the situation reflects deeper strategic issues for the US, drawing parallels with past military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq. He noted that conflicts are not only about entering but also about finding a way out, something he said has proven difficult for Washington in the past.
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Merz observed that Iran has emerged stronger than expected and is negotiating “very skilfully”, while the US has yet to present a convincing approach. He added that the Iranian leadership, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, appears to be gaining the upper hand.
What has Trump said?
Meanwhile, replying to Merz, Trump said the German leader, saying he
“doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Merz of taking a misguided stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and defended his own approach to the issue.
“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! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago,” the president wrote.
How many troops does US have in Germany?
The US had just over 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in its overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025, data from the US Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) shows.
More than half – about 36,400 – are based in Germany. That is a fraction of the 250,000 US troops that were based there in 1985, before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.
Major US bases in Germany include the Ramstein Air Base and the Grafenwöhr Training Area. The air base hosts over 16,200 personnel and contractors, while the training base is the largest training facility of the US in Europe.
First Published:
April 30, 2026, 13:38 IST
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