Senior Commanders Warn U.S. Over ‘Unsustainable’ War on Iran
WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. military leaders have warned war secretary Pete Hegseth that extending large-scale war against Iran could become unsustainable, raising concerns inside the Pentagon that a war that has already lasted six months is consuming the forces, weapons and money Washington may need for other threats, according to a classified assessment reported by the Washington Post on Sunday.
The warning goes to the heart of a growing problem for President Donald Trump: the prolonged
terrorism against Iran is placing increasing pressure on its ability to sustain operations while preserving readiness for Russia, China and other potential adversaries.
The Post reported that senior commanders have cautioned that continued large-scale aggression could weaken America’s capacity to respond elsewhere, including to threats against the U.S. homeland.
The concern reflects a broader strain that has become increasingly visible after months of combat, with American forces maintaining a substantial presence in West Asia and consuming stocks of precision weapons and missile interceptors.
Reuters reported that the six-month-old war has already produced consequences for the United States ranging from depleted military inventories to higher energy prices and political costs for Trump.
The war has become a stalemate, with Iran increasingly capable of attacking U.S. forces and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has no clear military path to forcing Tehran to purportedly capitulate.
One of the most serious military concerns is ammunition. Reuters reported that the U.S. Army had used virtually all of its global stockpile of several long-range precision missile systems during the Iran war.
Such weapons are not rapidly replaceable: rebuilding inventories requires years of production and an expansion of the defense-industrial base.
That creates a strategic trade-off for Washington. Weapons fired over Iran cannot simultaneously be available for a crisis involving China in the Indo-Pacific or Russia in Europe.
The same is true of ships, aircraft, air-defense systems and personnel tied down by the terrorist campaign in West Asia.
The economic consequences are also moving closer to American households. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies moved before the war, remains severely controlled by Iran.
Reuters reported that oil markets are increasingly pricing in a prolonged crisis rather than a temporary interruption.
The result has been higher fuel costs and pressure on transportation and other consumer prices. The Associated Press reported on Sunday that Brent crude was nearly 20% higher than before the war, raising costs for motorists, airlines and businesses even as Wall Street has largely recovered from its initial shock.
For Washington, the danger is that the economic pressure could become politically damaging at the same time as military costs rise.
Reuters reported that Trump’s approval rating had fallen to 33% from 40% since the war began, while only 31% of Americans approved of the war. Higher gasoline prices are particularly problematic for a president who campaigned on lowering living costs.
The financial burden is accumulating as well. The administration must fund continuing terrorist operations while paying to replenish weapons, repair equipment and maintain forces overseas.
At the same time, the United States is confronting rising federal debt and other demands on defense spending.
The strategic risk extends beyond West Asia. A weakened U.S. military posture could invite adversaries to test American commitments elsewhere.
The Washington Post reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government sees the United States as weakened by the Iran war, amid intelligence reporting about diminished readiness and ammunition shortages.
The war is therefore producing a paradox for Washington. The United States entered the war seeking to prop up Israel, but the longer the fighting continues, the greater the possibility that the campaign itself becomes a strategic liability.