Hegseth ousts top military planner at Pentagon as Trump considers launching strikes on Iran after midterms

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner as President Donald Trump considers renewed strikes on Iran following next week's midterm elections. Army Lt Gen Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after he reportedly leaked classified information about the war in Iran and the war between Russia and Ukraine.'Although Sylvia's title was director of the Directorate for Strategy, Plans and Policy at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, known inside the military as the J5, he was NOT a central planner for the Iran War,' a Defense Department official told One America News Network Chief National Security Correspondent Alexandra Ingersoll.'That is the responsibility of CENTCOM and its commander Admiral [Brad] Cooper.' Typically, the J5 director and their staff are responsible for generating and coordinating military plans with both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president. But the Pentagon official said Sylvia had become the subject of an investigation for leaking classified information, with authorities alleging he met with journalists outside of the building to get around the department's policy of having an escort with a journalist at all times.'Sylvia failed three polygraphs which questioned him about leaking classified information,' the Department of Defense official said, noting that the investigation into his alleged actions remains ongoing and has been referred to the Department of Justice 'for further action.' However, the official said, 'the extent of [Sylvia's] leaking became so critical that Secretary Hegseth took immediate action and fired Sylvia in order to protect national security' adding that 'urgent action was needed and could not wait another second.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, even as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran Army Lt Gen Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior official told the Associated PressIn a separate statement, a spokesperson for the Joint Staff said: 'The Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Joint Force extend our deepest gratitude to Lt Gen Brett Sylvia and his family for their 32 years of distinguished service to our nation.'We wish him and his family the best as they graduate to new opportunities and the next chapters of their lives,' the spokesperson said. Before arriving at the Joint Staff, Sylvia served as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, according to his official biography, which has now been taken offline. He also previously served as the vice director for the J5. It remains unclear who may now replace Sylvia in his role, according to the Atlantic.In the past, the deputy or vice director of the relevant directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would fill the role on a temporary basis until the president nominated a candidate for Senate confirmation.But Sylvia is now the second general to be ousted from the post, known in military circles as the 'J5,' under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt Gen Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October.He is also the latest in nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other military leaders to be fired, forced to retire or otherwise depart under Hegseth's tenure – almost all of which have not been publicly explained by the Pentagon.That includes the civilian secretaries of the Army and Navy as well as some top uniformed officers for the military services. President Trump has vowed to 'finish the job' in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago and said new strikes are an option after the midterm elections next weekHegseth said last month that he ordered the military to double the cuts to the overall number of top officers to a 20 percent decrease to be completed by January 1, 2027. There are currently roughly 800 flag and general officer positions.'I call it accountability and long overdue,' Hegseth told junior officers and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30.Some members of Congress have criticized cuts to the ranks of generals as a 'purge' that will take years to rebuild.'He's got some kind of like deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military,' Sen Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, said last month. 'He's purging a generation of great leaders of the military, and it's going to take a generation to recover from it.'In the meantime, President Trump has vowed to 'finish the job' in Iran after launching the war with Israel eight months ago. He said new strikes are an option after the midterm elections next week.US officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action after Tuesday's elections as well as for the possibility that Iran will attempt to retaliate against them, two diplomats briefed on the matter said. They say Trump has not made a final decision on new strikes.At the same time, a third US aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are making their way to the region. Sylvia is accused of leaking classified information about the war in Iran. Saudi-backed Yemeni government fighters are pictured firing a truck-mounted recoilless rifle during battles against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis last weekThe thinking within the administration is that if the US could push Iran to the brink economically, new military strikes now could push it to negotiate an end to the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the US officials said.The US naval blockade has already cost Iran $25 billion in crude oil exports, Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, announced in a video shared to social media earlier this month.'The Islamic regime is clearly feeling the economic pain,' he insisted.Any new operation in Iran may now be shorter term, like the one the US launched in June 2025 dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the officials said.Among the options the federal government is said to be considering is deploying the 21,600-pound 'mother of all bombs' against Iranian nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure.One source has said that the enormous bomb features explicitly in plans to attack Iran's suspected nuclear facilities, including the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain complex.US and Israeli officials believe Tehran has stored components of its nuclear program at the site, which Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack.Yet military experts have serious doubts about the MOAB's ability to penetrate the thick layers of granite believed to protect the underground facility.Unlike specialized bunker-busting weapons, the MOAB is primarily designed to unleash a devastating blast across a vast area rather than drill deep beneath the earth. One option the federal government is said to be considering is deploying the 21,600-pound 'mother of all bombs' (pictured) against Iranian nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure 'The MOAB is a massive information operation type weapon that is great for huge area clearance but not much else,' a source familiar with Pentagon planning told CNN.'It is definitely not designed as a deep penetration warhead.'The weapon could instead inflict catastrophic damage above ground while leaving deeply buried nuclear installations largely intact.Its enormous blast radius would also raise serious concerns about civilian casualties, particularly if Iranian energy facilities near populated areas were targeted.Nevertheless, some officials believe the psychological impact of dropping such a terrifying weapon could demonstrate overwhelming American military strength without restarting a full-scale bombing campaign.'POTUS has unfortunately put himself in a situation where he is almost compelled to do something and, without the ammunition designed to penetrate that level … you have to look at psychological effects for which the MOAB is well-equipped,' the source added.The Daily Mail has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.