ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Germany has “temporarily” withdrawn its “non-critical” military personnel from Erbil, a defense ministry source confirmed to The New Region on Thursday, calling it a precautionary measure amid escalating tensions in the region.

“We have temporarily withdrawn additional personnel from our contingent in Erbil due to the increasing tensions in the Middle East. This is a precautionary measure. The protection and safety of our German soldiers is our top priority,” the ministry told The New Region.

“In total, a mid-double-digit number of non-mission-critical personnel have been relocated,” it added.

The ministry did not specify the immediate cause for concern, but tensions have increased in the region as US military warships and planes have amassed in the Gulf, with Iran also increasing military drills, despite the two restarting indirect nuclear talks.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that “you're gonna be finding out over probably the next ten days" if a nuclear deal with Iran is possible, adding, "We have to make a meaningful deal; otherwise, bad things happen.”

Tehran has repeatedly warned that it will target US bases in the region if Washington launches an attack.

“This action has been closely coordinated with our multinational partners,” the ministry official said, adding, “Only the personnel necessary to maintain the command and control capabilities of the camp in Erbil remain on site.”

Besides being part of the US-led global anti-Islamic State (ISIS) coalition, German troops serve in an advisory role in Erbil as part of the NATO Mission Iraq.

EU countries have recently designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist” organization over its brutal crackdowns on the nationwide protests, a move strongly condemned by Tehran.

Berlin is often singled out as a target for Iranian rhetoric, with the government citing German support for Israel and welcoming of the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran in June 2025, which Chancellor Friedrich Merz referred to as doing the West's “dirty work,” as examples of hostile behavior.