Pentagon orders withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany as Trump escalates feud with Merz

"The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital. 

"This decision follows a thorough review of the Department's force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.

"We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to 12 months."

The U.S. troop presence in Germany has been a point of political debate in recent years. In 2020, Trump ordered the withdrawal of roughly 12,000 troops from the country, but the plan faced bipartisan resistance in Congress and was not completed before President Joe Biden took office.

He also sharply criticized Merz, saying he "doesn't know what he's talking about" regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.

Fox News Digital's Alex Koch and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.