U.S. military commanders warn that Iran war is exhausting American forces

Senior U.S. military commanders have warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that maintaining large-scale operations against Iran could weaken American defenses elsewhere, according to The Washington Post.

The concerns reportedly appeared in a classified document submitted to Hegseth on Aug. 14. The document, known as the Defense Department’s “Secretary of Defense Orders Book,” is prepared twice a month and outlines global force deployments and operational readiness.

The reported assessment said the heads of U.S. European Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Southern Command, along with the chief of naval operations, opposed extending troop deployments for the war with Iran. They nevertheless confirmed they would carry out Hegseth’s directives.

Large numbers of naval vessels, aircraft and military equipment have been redirected from those commands to the Middle East. Commanders warned that the changes had damaged their ability to fulfill routine missions, train units and meet basic defense responsibilities.

The Washington Post reported that Admiral Daryl Caudle, the chief of naval operations, issued the strongest warning. He said the Navy could not maintain its current level of engagement without a defined end date for the conflict. The assessment reportedly found that slightly more than one-quarter of U.S. destroyers were mission-ready and deployable, while Army airborne units, Patriot missile units and major Air Force elements were expected to remain in the region for at least part of the following period.