Hegseth fires Pentagon’s top military planner as Trump weighs new Iran strikes

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon’s top military planner, a defence official said Wednesday, the latest in a series of generals to be ousted and one that comes even as President Donald Trump is weighing renewed strikes on Iran in the eight-month-long war.

US Army Lieutentant General Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the second general to be ousted from the post, known in military circles as the “J5”, under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lieutenant General Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October.

The defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said there is no immediate replacement for Sylvia and no reason has been given for the firing. The move was reported earlier by The Atlantic.