U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month [1] Pentagon review of American troop deployments across Europe on Thursday.
The move signals a significant shift in U.S. military strategy and alliance management. It follows accusations that NATO members failed to support American forces during the conflict in Iran.
Hegseth said the review is necessary because NATO allies denied U.S. forces access to bases during the Iran war [2]. He said that this lack of cooperation put American troops at risk [3]. The Defense Secretary said the collective actions of the alliance were a failure of partnership during a critical period of instability.
"NATO's response to the war in Iran has been shameful," Hegseth said [4].
The Pentagon will evaluate the current footprint of U.S. forces in Europe to determine if existing deployments remain viable given the recent lack of support from allies [5]. The review will last six months [1]. This process aims to assess whether the U.S. is maintaining an oversized presence in regions where partner nations do not provide reciprocal operational support.
U.S. officials have previously emphasized the importance of burden-sharing within NATO. However, the current dispute over base access marks a more direct confrontation between the Pentagon and its European partners. The review may result in recommendations to relocate or reduce the number of personnel stationed on the continent [3].
Hegseth said the priority of the Department of Defense is to ensure the safety and efficacy of U.S. service members [2]. He said that the U.S. will not continue to provide security guarantees if allies do not fulfill their obligations to the alliance [3].
“"NATO's response to the war in Iran has been shameful."”
This review suggests a pivot toward a more transactional approach to international security. By linking troop presence to specific operational cooperation—such as base access during the Iran war—the U.S. is signaling that its security umbrella is contingent upon active, reciprocal support from NATO allies rather than long-standing treaty obligations.
