Hegseth orders 5,000 U.S. troops withdrawn from Germany amid Iran standoff, straining NATO alliance

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth orders the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany on May 1, 2026, the largest single reduction of American forces in Germany since Trump's 2020 order. Pentagon officials link the withdrawal to military realignment toward the Middle East during the Iran standoff. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly oppose the decision, warning it weakens NATO's eastern flank deterrence against Russia. The withdrawal occurs without advance NATO consultation, repeating the pattern from Trump's first term and reigniting European debates about U.S. reliability as an alliance partner.