US Pulls 5,000 Troops from Germany — Berlin Says ‘Foreseeable’ and Tells Europe to Step Up

President Trump has announced that 5,000 U.S. troops will leave bases in Germany over the next six to 12 months, prompting less surprise than you might expect from Berlin — and a polite nudge to Europe: time to take more responsibility for your own defence.

Germany hosts about 35,000 U.S. service members and is a major training hub, so the pullback isn’t tiny background noise. Defence minister Boris Pistorius said the move was “foreseeable” and argued that while American troops are in Europe “in our interest and in the interest of the United States,” Europeans must now step up — faster procurement, bigger forces, stronger infrastructure, the whole adulting checklist for national defence.

The announcement landed amid a diplomatic soap opera: German chancellor Friedrich Merz had earlier accused Iran of “humiliating” the US, sparking a prickly public spat with the president. Trump also said he’s “not satisfied” with a fresh Iranian proposal to end the war — a proposal Iran says it handed to mediator Pakistan — and didn’t spell out what was missing.

A weeks-long ceasefire has held since 8 April, but the rhetoric hasn’t cooled. A senior Iranian commander, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, warned that “a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely,” and accused the U.S. of breaking promises. He added that Iran’s armed forces are ready for any new “American adventure and folly.” Tension in words, caution in action.

Meanwhile Washington is moving on multiple fronts: the Pentagon expects the troop withdrawal to finish within a year, and the State Department approved roughly $8.6bn in military sales to Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. At the same time, the U.S. warned allies to expect delays as it scrambles to replenish weapons stockpiles depleted by the Iran war.

Violence and economic moves ripple beyond troop numbers: Lebanese officials reported deaths in Israeli strikes in the south, and the U.S. Treasury warned shipping companies that paying proposed transit fees to Iran in the Strait of Hormuz could invite sanctions, even if the payments looked charitable. Iran has floated charging vessels as part of a peace bargain. And President Trump sent lawmakers a letter declaring hostilities “terminated,” even while much of the posture on the ground stays the same.

Back in Tehran, the supreme leader urged citizens to wage an “economic battle” and try to avoid layoffs as sanctions and conflict bite local businesses. So the picture right now: a fragile ceasefire, stalled talks, a high-profile troop exit from Germany, and a chorus of officials telling everyone else to get more responsible — especially Europe. Call it diplomacy with a to-do list; keep your helmets and calendars handy.