US military leaders reportedly warned Iran that operation has become “too much for too long”, citing strain on troops and readiness.
The assessment was prepared for Hegseth and recorded in the August 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB), weeks before the latest escalation in fighting between the United States and Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal citing sources. At the time of the assessment, US Central Command had more than 50,000 troops on alert in the region as President Donald Trump continued to demand that Tehran reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept US terms for ending the conflict. Because there was no anticipated end date, according to people familiar with the assessment, daryl Caudle, the chief of Naval Operations, told Hegseth that the Navy could not sustain its current level of support for the Iran conflict.
The heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force, along with the four-star commanders overseeing US operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America, raised concerns over the strain the prolonged operation was placing on troops, equipment and military readiness, the people said. Overall, the assessment described the Iran operation as “too much for too long,” according to one person familiar with it, as quoted by WSJ. It reflected concerns over the continued deployment of US forces to the Middle East as the Iran conflict entered its sixth month. Adm.
About 25% of the Pentagon’s Reaper drone fleet had also been lost, while U.S. bases in the Middle East had suffered billions of dollars in damage, according to earlier reports.
“I typically am not a big fan of extensions, and I push back hard on that, but the enemy gets a vote,” he said, according to a Navy transcript. The prolonged war has meanwhile depleted key U.S. military stocks. The Pentagon has faced shortages of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors, as well as long-range Tomahawk missiles. The Trump administration has rejected reports that the U.S. is facing significant munitions shortages.