WP: US military warns Iran conflict could weaken American forces

US military officials have warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that continuing large-scale operations against Iran could reduce US military readiness, The Washington Post (WP) reports.

According to sources familiar with confidential Pentagon documents, several US military commanders told Hegseth that the ongoing campaign is depleting forces and risks weakening the US capacity to counter threats in other regions, including threats to the United States.

The assessments were presented to the US defense secretary by the chiefs of staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the heads of US military commands responsible for regions including Europe, Asia and South America.

According to the newspaper, the officials believe that deploying US forces to the Middle East because of the conflict with Iran is limiting their ability to carry out missions and provide adequate training for personnel in other regions.

A source said US military commanders believe the military campaign against Iran has been going on “too long” and requires too many resources.

Sean Parnell, an assistant to the defense secretary for public affairs, told reporters that he would not discuss the Pentagon’s internal assessments.

By Jeyhun Aghazada