Türkiye and Israel Trade Heated Accusations as Tensions Mount

Senior US military leaders have warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the campaign against Iran has become “too much, for too long,” according to people familiar with a Pentagon assessment reported by The Washington Post.

The warnings reportedly appeared in the Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, a document normally produced twice a month to track the global availability of US warships, aircraft, personnel and weapons. The assessment was presented by the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs, along with commanders responsible for US operations across Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The concerns come after about six months of fighting with Iran. US Central Command has kept more than 50,000 troops on alert for months in case President Donald Trump orders additional attacks. The orders book reportedly said some troops deployed in the Middle East would stay through September, while others could remain in the region until 2027.

The prospect of prolonging those deployments has exposed divisions over the demands placed on the wider US military. The Navy’s top admiral and the commanders of European Command, Pacific Command and Southern Command reportedly marked their responses “non-concur,” meaning they disagreed with Hegseth’s order but would carry it out. Their commands have had ships, aircraft and other equipment diverted to the Iran conflict, limiting other missions and training.

Army and Air Force leaders reportedly agreed to extend their deployments but warned that the move carried significant risks. Admiral Samuel Paparo, the Pacific commander, objected to continuously supplying an aircraft carrier strike group and destroyers. Navy chief Admiral Daryl Caudle gave the bleakest assessment, saying the Navy could not sustain its current pace without a defined end date. Only about one-quarter of the destroyer fleet was reportedly ready to deploy, a sharp decline from prewar levels.

“

Too much, for too long.