Hegseth had promised a quick decisive blow to avoid long entanglement
The Pentagon is extending troop deployments in the Middle East as the U.S. military campaign against Iran enters its seventh month, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Pete Hegseth promised a quick, decisive blow that would avoid a long entanglement when the campaign launched six months ago, the Journal reported. The Pentagon is now quietly extending deployments, signaling the conflict could drag well into 2027, according to the newspaper.
According to the Journal, the extensions are part of an open-ended military strategy designed to give President Trump options in the war. The Journal described the Pentagon’s posture as all-in and reported it comes as Trump sends mixed signals about what comes next.
The longer deployments are placing significant strain on service members and their families, according to the Journal. The strain on personnel comes alongside an accumulation of equipment maintenance demands the newspaper reported could take years to unwind.
The Journal’s reporting, published in its 10-Point newsletter, did not specify which units are being extended or how many additional service members are affected by the deployment extensions.