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

Germany’s top diplomat said the tension between President Donald Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz was a misunderstanding — and that the government in Berlin supports the US aim to ensure Iran can’t obtain a nuclear weapon.

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.

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