Several US military leaders have advised Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonging large-scale operations against Iran is unsustainable and risks weakening their ability to confront threats elsewhere, including the US homeland, The Washington Post reported on Sunday citing people familiar with a recent assessment prepared for the Pentagon chief. The warnings appeared in the August 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB), which is typically produced twice monthly to outline the worldwide availability of American warships, aircraft, personnel and weapons systems. The warnings were detailed for Hegseth by the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force and the four-state commanders overseeing US operations throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America, the people familiar with the assessment said. One official familiar with the assessment described the overall message from the military leadership, which comes about six months of fighting with Iran, as “too much, for too long.” US Central Command, the headquarters responsible for prosecuting the Iran war, has kept a force of more than 50,000 troops on alert for months in case US President Donald Trump orders additional attacks, according to the newspaper. The orders book reportedly stated some US troops deployed in the Middle East to remain there through September, while others would remain in the region until 2027, sources familiar with the matter said. The prospect of extending those forces further compelled military leaders to voice their concern, the sources noted. Objections The Post reported that the navy’s top admiral, along with the leaders from America’s European Command, Pacific Command, and the Southern Command, responded with “non-concur,” which means that they do not agree with Hegseth’s order, but will execute it regardless. It was noted that the geographic combatant commands overseeing American operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America have had their ships, aircraft and other equipment pulled away to support the Iran conflict. This has limited their ability to conduct missions and ensure proper training, those familiar with the assessment said. When the Army and Air Force leadership concurred with Hegseth’s desire to extend their deployed forces, each emphasized that doing so would come with significant risk, these people said. Admiral Samuel Paparo, the chief of Pacific Command, objected to continually supplying an aircraft carrier strike group and destroyers to the fight against Iran. He disagreed with the level of support he was ordered to continually provide, including an aircraft carrier strike group and naval destroyers. Ammunition shortages Meanwhile, Admiral Daryl Caudle, the chief of Naval Operations, provided Hegseth with the dimmest picture, saying in the SDOB that the Navy cannot sustain its current pace without a defined end date and that only about one-quarter of the destroyer fleet is ready to deploy, a sharp drop from prewar levels, those familiar with the assessment said. According to the assessment, if demands on the Navy remain at the same level, the impact on ship maintenance could jeopardize fleet availability in the event another conflict breaks out elsewhere in the world. The Navy has been required to provide dozens of vessels for the campaign: initially for US strikes and defense against Iranian counterattacks, and later to enforce Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports as part of efforts to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, the deployments of several ships and their crews have been extended by months. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington, permanently based in Japan and a central element in deterring China, was moved to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been on an extended deployment since November and is expected to complete more than 300 days at sea before returning to base. The heads of the Army and Air Force did not oppose the deployment extensions requested by Hegseth, but they too warned of the risks involved. About 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, rushed to the region in March following the outbreak of the war, are expected to remain in the Middle East at least through September, and the Army assesses that their mission could be extended even further. The division is considered a key force in the event of a US ground operation in Iran. On the other hands, deployments for Army Patriot air-defense crews, whose interceptors have been depleted by the Iran war and previous transfers to Ukraine, are also slated to be extended. Units operating Patriot air defense systems also are expected to remain in the region beyond the original plan. Interceptor stockpiles for the systems were depleted during the war, after interceptors had already been transferred to Ukraine, and the shortage is limiting the Trump administration’s ability to escalate the fighting again because Iran still retains the capability to strike US bases across the Middle East. The war has also depleted stocks of THAAD interceptors and long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. According to The Washington Post, about 25% of the Pentagon’s Reaper drone fleet was lost during the fighting, while US bases in the region sustained billions of dollars in damage. The Trump administration, for its part, says reports of ammunition shortages are inaccurate. Tensions inside the Pentagon over the continuation of the campaign are not new. Even before the fighting began, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine warned the White House that the United States did not have enough munitions — or enough support from its allies — to wage a large-scale, prolonged campaign. This month it was also reported that European Command chief General Alexus Grynkewich warned the Pentagon that he did not have enough naval forces to defend Israel and the United States simultaneously against missile attacks.
