Pentagon weighs pulling at least 25,000 US troops from Europe: report

The Pentagon is considering withdrawing around 25,000 US troops from Europe, according to NBC News. This move could potentially reduce the American military presence on the continent by nearly one-third. The proposed drawdown may be even larger, reaching as many as 40,000 troops, as reported by NBC, citing current and former US and Western officials.

There is no apparent connection between the troop withdrawal consideration and other Pentagon policies or unrelated issues such as US troop deaths in a war with Iran. Reports on troop deaths in the Iran war indicate at least 22 military fatalities, four more than publicly disclosed, according to the Washington Post, citing US officials.

The Pentagon has also introduced formal guidance for mandatory testosterone testing for male service members aged 30 and older. This policy, announced by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, aims to screen troops for "testosterone deficiency" to allow them to operate at their "absolute best". The guidance clarifies that the testing would initially apply to only male service members.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, Middle East Eye, Al-Monitor, Gulf News, CityNews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.