The U.S. Department of Defense conducted a lie detector test on about 50 members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to identify the source of reports about Iran's war weapons shortage.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 4th that the U.S. Department of Defense conducted a lie detector test on about 50 members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to identify the source of media reports that there was a shortage of weapons due to the war with Iran.

According to reports, military and civilian employees of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were investigated for whether they leaked classified information to the media and provided information about dwindling U.S. military weapons inventories.

The polygraph examination was conducted last month following a series of reports detailing shortages in major U.S. military weapons stocks, including long-range missiles and Patriot air defense missiles.

The NYT pointed out that the scale of this type of lie detector survey targeting military leaders was unprecedented.

Officials familiar with the situation told the NYT that this investigation appears to be aimed not only at identifying people who may have leaked information, but also at warning others who may commit similar acts in the future.

In principle, lie detector test results are not accepted as direct evidence in U.S. federal courts or military courts.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, "The Department of Defense does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters," but added, "We take all leaks of classified information related to national security very seriously and investigate accordingly."

Given that U.S. President Donald Trump called the successive reports on major weapons shortages "treasonous" and put pressure on the information leakers to be actively identified, the Joint Chiefs of Staff investigation is interpreted as a "follow-up" by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his loyalists.

The NYT pointed out that Minister Hegseth himself was criticized last year for sharing sensitive details about the Yemen attack with relevant officials in a group chat room on the private messaging app Signal.