Pentagon furious over military recommendation leak about Iran war
The Pentagon has pushed back publicly on reporting from over the weekend that multiple senior military leaders have advised War Secretary Pete Hegseth about the risks that would come with further prolonging the Iran war.
TL;DR
- The Pentagon disputes reporting that senior military leaders warned Secretary Pete Hegseth about the risks of prolonging the Iran war.
- Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that much of the published information is inaccurate and that non-concurrences are standard.
- He accused the reporting of being driven by 'Trump derangement syndrome' and 'Pete derangement syndrome'.
- Military commanders from U.S. European Command, U.S. Pacific Command, and U.S. Southern Command, along with the top Navy admiral, gave 'non-concur' responses to plans for continued troop deployment in the Middle East.
- The U.S. military carried out limited strikes targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps minelaying forces in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The Navy has borne a significant cost for the six-month war, with approximately 50,000 U.S. troops in the region.
- Large naval assets like the USS Gerald Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln have undertaken extended deployments related to the conflict and other operations.
- Adm. Daryl Caudle acknowledged that extensions are 'very challenging for our sailors'.
- The Pentagon has expended significant offensive and defensive capabilities that will take years to replace.
- Under Secretary Hegseth, new restrictions on Pentagon reporters led to most of them returning their credentials.
- Commentators aligned with Hegseth criticized the Washington Post for publishing details from the Secretary of Defense Orders Book.