A recent Pentagon assessment warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that maintaining the current level of military operations against Iran could leave the U.S. less able to respond to threats elsewhere and protect the homeland, according to a new report.
The warning appeared this month in the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, which details the availability of U.S. military resources around the world and includes input from senior defense officials, The Washington Post reported. The book is usually published twice a month.
Military leaders were prompted to speak out after the book said some U.S. troops would remain in the Middle East into 2027, sources told the newspaper.
The heads of U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. European Command and U.S. Southern Command responded with a “non-concur,” meaning they opposed the order to keep forces in the region but would carry it out nonetheless.
Commanders overseeing operations in Latin America, Europe and Asia have seen resources, including aircraft and ships, diverted to support the war with Iran, which has dragged on for six months with no clear end in sight. The moves have hampered their missions and training operations, with the general feeling being that the military has faced “too much for too long,” one source told the Post.
Specifically, the leaders overseeing operations in Latin America and Europe warned that sending their ships and aircraft to the Middle East “has degraded their ability to fulfill homeland-defense obligations,” the outlet reported.
The chief of Naval operations also wrote that roughly one-quarter of the destroyer fleet is currently prepared to deploy, marking a steep decrease from levels before the war. He added that – should the war continue at its current pace — the fleet’s capacity to respond to other conflicts would be jeopardized.
“This fake news, poorly sourced reporting is full of inaccuracies,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement provided to The Independent.
“Secretary Hegseth is actively engaged with the Services, the Joint Staff, and Combatant Commanders to ensure that U.S. forces are postured to deter conflict, respond effectively when required, and maintain acceptable levels of readiness,” Parnell added. “Decisions regarding the scope and duration of specific force commitments to any Combatant Command are made based on the current threat assessment, strategic priorities established by the President, and the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combatant Commanders. However, the Department of War does not discuss internal operational processes..."
The war, which began in February when the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran, has settled into a prolonged stalemate, with several rounds of negotiations having failed. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route, has proved a source of contention.
The Pentagon itself has acknowledged the high cost of the conflict.
Hegseth told Congress last month that the conflict had cost $37.5 billion, while arguing that an additional $67 billion was needed. The first six days of the war alone cost more than $11.3 billion, Pentagon officials reportedly told lawmakers in March.
The U.S. military has expended nearly all of its stockpiled, long-range precision missiles, CBS News reported this month. President Donald Trump, though, has insisted that the U.S. still maintains “massive amounts” of weapons. NBC News also reported this month that Iran has caused billions of dollars in damage to U.S. intelligence infrastructure in the Middle East.
The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. service members and wounded hundreds more, the Pentagon has said.
Multiple polls indicate the war is largely unpopular with Americans.
