US military leaders warn Iran war duration 'unsustainable'

Senior US military commanders have cautioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the continuing war against Iran is "unsustainable" and jeopardizes the nation's ability to respond to global threats and protect the American homeland, according to a Washington Post report on Sunday.

The warnings appeared in the Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB), a classified internal document used to direct military movements. People familiar with the assessment noted that the latest edition mandates that certain personnel currently in the Middle East remain stationed there through September, while other units are directed to continue their deployment into 2027.

The heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with four-star commanders from Europe, Asia, and Latin America, characterized the six-month war as "too much for too long."

Leaders from the US European Command, US Pacific Command, and US Southern Command, the headquarters responsible for operations in those respective regions, along with the Navy's top admiral, officially registered a "non-concur" regarding orders to extend their forces in the Middle East. While this indicates a formal disagreement with the defense secretary's directive, the commanders confirmed they will still execute the mission.

The report highlighted that shifting ships and surveillance aircraft to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees Middle East operations, has limited the military's capacity for training and homeland defense. The Navy has reportedly stretched its resources to meet wartime demands, raising fears that inadequate ship maintenance will result in a fleet shortage should other conflicts arise.

Although the Army and Air Force leadership technically concurred with the extension, they emphasized that doing so carries "significant risk." Currently, over 50,000 troops are in the region.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to discuss the SDOB or specific internal disagreements. He said that force allocation decisions are based on "strategic priorities established by the President, and the advice of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combatant Commanders."

It remains unknown exactly when the overstretched units will be permitted to return to their original theaters of operation.