Top Military Leaders Quietly Disagree with Trump’s Iran War Extension, Warn of Risks

According to a new report, senior military brass have privately expressed alarm to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that President Donald Trump’s extended war with Iran is stretching U.S. forces thin and exposing the nation to other threats. The heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force, along with four-star commanders of U.S. European, Pacific and Southern Commands, entered “non-concur” entries in the classified Secretary of Defense Orders Book, signalling disagreement while pledging to implement the orders to keep troops deployed in the Middle East.

They cautioned that the conflict is depleting assets needed to counter rivals such as China, noting the sole Pacific-based carrier was redirected to the region and that Patriot interceptors, THAAD systems, Tomahawk missiles and a quarter of the Reaper drone fleet are running low. The report also cited morale issues on the USS Abraham Lincoln and casualties from Iranian strikes. The Pentagon labeled the story “fake news” and refused to comment on internal processes.