The United States is withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany, the Pentagon has announced, in an apparent US rebuke to the close Nato ally amid a widening rift between President Donald Trump and Europe over the Iran war, Reuters reports.

Trump had threatened a drawdown in forces earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday the Iranians were humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month-old war.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the withdrawal was expected to be completed over the next six to twelve months.