Key facts
- Senior US military officials have warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonged large-scale operations against Iran are unsustainable.
- These warnings were reportedly lodged as formal 'non-concurs' in a classified Secretary of Defense Orders Book.
- Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell disputed a report detailing these objections, calling it inaccurate and politically motivated.
- President Donald Trump threatened to escalate actions against Iran following recent attacks.
- The generals' warnings cited risks of draining US military might and its ability to confront other adversaries.
Senior US military officials have reportedly warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that continuing large-scale operations against Iran is unsustainable and risks draining US military might. These concerns were detailed in a classified Secretary of Defense Orders Book, where four four-star commanders lodged formal 'non-concurs' against plans to prolong the conflict.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell disputed a report on these objections, stating that while military advice and disagreements are standard, the reporting was inaccurate and politically motivated. The commanders, including Adm. Daryl Caudle (Chief of Naval Operations), Gen. Alexus Grynkewich (US European Command), Gen. Francis L Donovan (US Southern Command), and Adm. Samuel Paparo (US Indo-Pacific Command), reportedly warned of significant risks and an inability to sustain current commitments.
Specifically, Caudle indicated the Navy could not maintain its support levels, with only about a quarter of its destroyers available for deployment, while Paparo objected to the continued demand for an aircraft carrier strike group and destroyers. The commanders from European and Southern Commands noted that shifting assets to Central Command was degrading their ability to fulfill homeland-defense obligations.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump threatened to 'hit [Iran] hard' following Iran's retaliatory strike on a US military base in Jordan. Oil prices, which had been trending down, spiked on the news, with Brent crude rising 2.5 percent to trade at $90.35 per barrel. Trump also declared Iran a 'Failed Nation' on social media.