The Washington Post reported Sunday that several high-level military leaders warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that extending operations against Iran could weaken American defense capabilities in other theaters.
Per the report, the Navy’s top admiral and the heads of U.S. European Command, the U.S. Pacific Command, and the U.S. Southern Command disagreed with extending deployments in the Persian Gulf region. The report cited individuals familiar with the mid-August Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB), which details the disposition of American military assets and personnel, articulates the administration’s priorities for the military, and delivers commentary from military leadership.
The Army and Air Force agreed with extending the deployments, for some groups into 2027, but noted risks to other theaters from the diversion of assets.
The report follows a string of stories about the depletion of American weapons stockpiles, particularly missile interceptors and long-range precision missiles. Extended deployments have particularly affected quality of life on naval vessels.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement Sunday calling for unity in the Muslim world on the occasion of Muhammad’s birthday.
“The criminal rulers of the U.S. and the illegitimate Zionist regime are the sworn enemies of this unity and friendship,” he wrote. “They aren’t just the enemies of the Islamic Republic, the Iranian nation, and the vast front of Islamic Resistance. Rather, they hold an enmity toward the entire Islamic Ummah, including the nations in West Asia and North Africa.”
Khamenei has not been seen in public since the outbreak of the war in February, even after being named to replace his late father as head of state on March 8.
AAA reported a national average of $4.08 per gallon of regular gasoline.
