WP reported on the Pentagon's concerns about prolonging the war in Iran

The top US military leadership has notified the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, that further continuation of large-scale military operations against Iran is impossible without prejudice to national security. This was reported on August 30 by The Washington Post (WP), citing sources.

According to an internal Pentagon report, the protracted conflict is depleting the resources needed to contain threats in other regions and protect American territory.

The heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as four-star generals heading US commands in Europe, Asia and Latin America, expressed their concerns to the head of the defense department. The warnings are contained in the closed "Book of Orders of the Minister of Defense" (SDOB) dated August 14. According to sources familiar with the document, the military considers the current intensity of operations excessive.

Admiral Daryl Codle, Commander of Naval Operations, provided the most critical assessment. He stressed that the Navy cannot maintain the current level of involvement in the conflict due to the lack of a date for its completion. According to the report, only a quarter of the US destroyer fleet remains on alert, which is significantly below the pre-war level. The prolonged blockade of Iranian ports has also disrupted ship maintenance schedules.

Commanders in Europe, the Pacific, and Latin America have officially expressed disagreement with Hegseth's orders to extend the deployment of forces. They pointed out that the transfer of ships and reconnaissance aircraft to the area of responsibility of the Central Command (CENTCOM) undermined their ability to perform basic tasks. In particular, Admiral Samuel Paparo, who heads the Pacific Command, opposed the continued operation of the carrier strike group in the Middle East region.

The Ground forces and the Air Force formally agreed with the minister's plans, but noted significant risks. It is reported that units of the 82nd Airborne Division and calculations of Patriot air defense systems will be forced to remain in the conflict zone until 2027.

The situation is complicated by an acute shortage of ammunition. According to sources, stocks of interceptor missiles for Patriot and THAAD systems, as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles, are seriously depleted. In addition, the United States lost about 25% of its fleet of Reaper drones during the fighting, and American bases in the region suffered significant damage.

Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell, in a commentary for The Washington Post, said that decisions on the scale and duration of the use of forces are made based on current threat assessments and the president's priorities. The Pentagon itself refused to discuss the details of internal document management and disagreements within the command.

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Who has lost more and when to expect shifts in the Middle East settlement

On August 16, The Economist magazine stated that US President Donald Trump was at an impasse due to the lack of effective options for resolving the conflict with Iran. Due to the disagreements that have arisen, the parties resumed mutual strikes. Oil tankers began to avoid passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which provoked an increase in world oil prices. At the same time, negotiations on the nuclear program have actually been stopped.

A day earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump, after consulting with key advisers, began to lean towards expanding military operations against Iran. These include increased bombing of the territory of the Islamic Republic, attacks on Iranian energy facilities, as well as sending ground troops to capture islands in the Strait of Hormuz.