"We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months," a Pentagon statement seen by Newsweek said.

After Chancellor Friedrich Merz upset President Trump with criticism of the war, he offered no public sign he believed Mr. Trump’s threats to pull troops were serious.

President Trump has repeatedly attacked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for comments he made about the U.S. role in the Iran war, targeting a leader who has worked hard to be in the president’s

The decision coincides with a feud between the president and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has criticized the U.S. war in Iran.

ANALYSIS: Friedrich Merz calling out Trump’s foreign policy is an effort to get the US president to think less about Vladimir Putin and protect America’s allies, explains world affairs editor Sam Kile

Donald Trump claims Iranian officials have told the US their country is in a 'state of collapse' and are begging for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened

The Pentagon says it will remove about 5,000 U.S. forces from Germany within the next year. The announcement was made in the middle of a clash between President Trump and the German chancellor over the war with Iran.