Pentagon limits classified access amid Iran war concerns, report says

The Pentagon has restricted access to decades of classified military documents on an internal computer system, days after reports that senior U.S. commanders questioned whether the military could sustain large-scale operations against Iran.

Documents tied to the Secretary of Defense Orders Book were removed from an internal portal on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, known as SIPRNet, The Washington Post reported. Three people familiar with the matter spoke to the newspaper anonymously. It was unclear whether the documents remained available through other channels or how the change might affect military planning.

The SDOB records the location and availability of U.S. warships, military units, weapons systems and other resources. It also allows senior commanders to formally register reservations about orders while continuing to carry them out, a process known as "non-concurring."

Several senior officers reportedly used that process to object to continuing operations against Iran. They included Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, Gen. Francis Donovan, Adm. Samuel Paparo and Adm. Daryl Caudle. The reported reservations said prolonging the war could reduce the U.S. military’s capacity to respond to threats elsewhere. The document called for some troops in the Middle East to remain through September and others until 2027.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve supported extending some deployments but warned that the decision carried substantial risks. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to discuss the reported access change, while not disputing that it had occurred.

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