The United States military is being pulled in two directions as President Donald Trump continues a campaign aimed at Iran and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reshapes the Pentagon.
Trump’s latest effort targets Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz and is part of a wider Gulf fight that has already drawn in US forces and equipment from across the globe. At the same time, Hegseth’s promised overhaul of US military culture has triggered bitter internal recriminations and a series of departures at senior levels, raising questions about readiness and the wider impact on America’s alliance network.
Driscoll Resignation Highlights Readiness Concerns
Last Monday, Dan Driscoll, one of the Pentagon’s most senior political leaders, stepped down as US Secretary of the Army.
Driscoll was not widely known outside Washington, but his exit is being seen as a further twist in an internal power struggle over how quickly the Army should change. Driscoll had repeatedly clashed with Hegseth over the speed and direction of reform, and his resignation followed the removal or sidelining of other top figures under Hegseth.
The concern around management and reform was underscored by Republican Senator Thom Tillis, a frequent Trump critic, who called for Hegseth to be fired. H.R. McMaster, a former Trump National Security Adviser, also questioned the approach, telling CBS that Driscoll had been pushing modernisation to bring the Army up to date.
According to reports, Driscoll had argued for urgent modernisation, including adding drones across ordinary Army formations so they would be ready for 21st-century warfare. Driscoll said the Ukraine war showed how quickly battle conditions had shifted, with cheap drones and anti-missile systems challenging a force burdened by bureaucracy and expensive procurement.
A source familiar with Driscoll’s departure said Driscoll raised concerns within the administration about army readiness and transformation, adding that Driscoll said Hegseth was blocking the work by firing the generals responsible.
Retired Navy captain Jon Duffy said the resignation reflected how much of the leadership drive had been “hollowed out”. Losing the Army secretary and other modernisation figures, he said, created uncertainty and disrupted momentum, with knock-on effects for the force.
Hegseth Cuts Ranks As Pentagon Plans Shift
Publicly, Hegseth has focused on culture change in the armed forces. He has pledged to end so-called “woke” initiatives and scrap rules of engagement he said reduced war fighters’ “lethality”, while also dismantling diversity programmes and banning beards.
He has removed or sidelined senior uniformed officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force, and at least two dozen generals, admirals and civilian defence leaders, often without detailed explanation. Critics have compared the shake-up to political purges in China, arguing such changes can leave command structures and readiness vulnerable.
Michael Schiffer, a former senior Pentagon official, said Hegseth’s approach amounted to a “military purge” that carries real effects for the military’s ability to carry out its responsibilities. The White House has defended the moves, with Vice-President J.D. Vance saying Hegseth was in agreement about the need for a culture shift after what he described as decades of “lost wars and military misadventures”.
In a statement to the BBC, the White House said Trump had “full confidence” in Hegseth and the wider Department of War, citing success in Operation Epic Fury, Operation Absolute Resolve and Operation Midnight Hammer.
Europe Feels The Impact Of The Iran Conflict
Trump’s Iran-related orders on 28 February have also reshaped deployments. US weapons stored in Europe and Asia were transferred to replenish supplies for the Gulf, according to the article.
In Europe, analysts say relations have suffered, with Professor Liana Fix describing “blowback” from the lack of consultation with Nato and European allies. She argued this accelerated a broader decision to shift some US resources away from Europe, amid Trump’s complaints that allies were not doing enough.
Fix also pointed to Russia’s reported escalation of “hybrid” attacks, including those involving drones or sabotage against Nato countries such as Germany, which Russia denies. She said Russia could interpret the situation as a window for “vulnerabilities in Europe”.
Alongside these concerns, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Moscow, reportedly to warn the Kremlin not to test Nato’s resolve, while a senior Pentagon official, Elbridge Colby, visited Europe to press for more defence spending. Washington announced a cut of 5,000 from the 40,000 US troops based in Germany, and a Biden-era plan to deploy a US battalion with long-range Tomahawk missiles there was dropped.
Depleted Stocks Add Pressure To Leadership Change
The redeployments and sustained operations have also raised questions about munitions levels. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said the US fired about a third of its 3,000-strong stockpile of Tomahawk missiles. It added that air defence munitions were used at a higher rate, with nearly 1,500 Patriot interceptors fired from a stockpile of around 2,300.
Anna Kelly, the White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary, said the administration believes US stocks are sufficient for strategic goals, adding that America has “more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles”.
Ezra Cohen, a former Trump defence official, said Trump had degraded Iran’s conventional military threat and left proxy groups weaker. But the prolonged campaign has continued to absorb forces, with thousands of troops, including the 82nd Airborne Division, sent to the Middle East more than six months ago, with the deployment now stretching into 2027.
The article also notes that images last week of the USS Abraham Lincoln docking in Thailand after a long Gulf deployment were seized on by Iran, which tried to portray the ship as proof of US overstretch. Hegseth rejected claims about poor conditions aboard the carrier.
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9 September 2026
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