President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization poses an ethical quandary for the US military, whose officers would carry out his orders — and could be in jeopardy if they do anything later deemed illegal.
President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization poses an ethical quandary for the US military, whose officers would carry out his orders — and could be in jeopardy if they do anything later deemed illegal.
President Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, April 6, 2026.
Even as Donald Trump pushes for talks to end the war against Iran, the US has ordered thousands of troops to the region, fueling fears that the president is gearing up for exactly the sort of risky ground invasion that he once campaigned against.
Even as Donald Trump pushes for talks to end the war against Iran, the US has ordered thousands of troops to the region, fueling fears that the president is gearing up for exactly the sort of risky ground invasion that he once campaigned against.
Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg conduct a reenlistment ceremony in Washington, DC, on June 12, 2025.
The Pentagon wants to shift roughly $1.5 billion in previously approved funding to buy critical missile interceptors from Lockheed Martin Corp. and RTX Corp., according to the acting comptroller — weapons that are in short supply as the war in Iran consumes vast amounts of the munitions.
The Pentagon wants to shift roughly $1.5 billion in previously approved funding to buy critical missile interceptors from Lockheed Martin Corp. and RTX Corp., according to the acting comptroller — weapons that are in short supply as the war in Iran consumes vast amounts of the munitions.
The Patriot-3 Missile Segment Enhancement missile made by Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin
The Pentagon has agreed with major defense contractors on a series of framework agreements meant to accelerate production of key missile systems that have seen heavy use during the initial phases of the US and Israeli war against Iran.
The Pentagon has agreed with major defense contractors on a series of framework agreements meant to accelerate production of key missile systems that have seen heavy use during the initial phases of the US and Israeli war against Iran.
Visitors look at missiles made by Lockheed Martin at the Defence and Security Equipment International fair in London.
US officials said the White House is sending more than 2,000 additional Marines to the Middle East as it weighs a plan to seize Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, a ground operation that would carry huge risks for President Donald Trump.
US officials said the White House is sending more than 2,000 additional Marines to the Middle East as it weighs a plan to seize Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, a ground operation that would carry huge risks for President Donald Trump.
Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf on March 17. Source: Copernicus
At least 16 US military aircraft have been lost since the start of the war with Iran, including 10 Reaper strike drones hit by enemy fire and a half-dozen other planes badly damaged in attacks or accidents.
At least 16 US military aircraft have been lost since the start of the war with Iran, including 10 Reaper strike drones hit by enemy fire and a half-dozen other planes badly damaged in attacks or accidents.
F-15 aircrafts prepare for take off at RAF Lakenheath in Mildenhall, England on March 18.
At least 16 US military aircraft have been lost since the start of the war with Iran, including 10 Reaper strike drones hit by enemy fire and a half-dozen other planes badly damaged in attacks or accidents.
At least 16 US military aircraft have been lost since the start of the war with Iran, including 10 Reaper strike drones hit by enemy fire and a half-dozen other planes badly damaged in attacks or accidents.
F-15 aircrafts prepare for take off at RAF Lakenheath in Mildenhall, England on March 18.
The Pentagon has asked for an additional $200 billion from Congress to pay for the war against Iran, a person familiar with the matter said, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued that the campaign was ahead of schedule and disputed that the US was getting embroiled in a quagmire.
The Pentagon has asked for an additional $200 billion from Congress to pay for the war against Iran, a person familiar with the matter said, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued that the campaign was ahead of schedule and disputed that the US was getting embroiled in a quagmire.
A firefighter stands in front of the ruins of a residential building in Tehran on March 12.
The US Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier is retreating from the Red Sea after a fire broke out in its laundry room, scuttling plans for the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered vessel to project power in the war with Iran.
The US Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier is retreating from the Red Sea after a fire broke out in its laundry room, scuttling plans for the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered vessel to project power in the war with Iran.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft lands on the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford during Operation Epic Fury in the Mediterranean Sea, in this handout photo provided by the US Navy on March 2, 2026.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US has “no shortage” of munitions to carry out its campaign in Iran, seeking to rebut concerns that the US military is burning through interceptors and other missiles at an unsustainable rate.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US has “no shortage” of munitions to carry out its campaign in Iran, seeking to rebut concerns that the US military is burning through interceptors and other missiles at an unsustainable rate.
The US has a massive stock of easy-to-produce, air-dropped precision bombs — as President Donald Trump implied in a social media post this week — but has been using costly and less-numerous standoff weapons in its attacks on Iran, sapping supplies meant for more formidable enemies.
The US has a massive stock of easy-to-produce, air-dropped precision bombs — as President Donald Trump implied in a social media post this week — but has been using costly and less-numerous standoff weapons in its attacks on Iran, sapping supplies meant for more formidable enemies.
The USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. fires a Tomahawk missile during operations in support of Operation Epic Fury, in an image released by the US Navy, on Feb. 28.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US and Israel are on the cusp of taking complete control of Iran’s airspace as he laid out plans to step up attacks deeper in the country as its defenses are destroyed.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US and Israel are on the cusp of taking complete control of Iran’s airspace as he laid out plans to step up attacks deeper in the country as its defenses are destroyed.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Cain during a news conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
The Pentagon’s top strategy official acknowledged that the US operations against Iran are outside the scope of the Trump administration’s plans to have allies and partners pick up more of the burden for collective security.
The Pentagon’s top strategy official acknowledged that the US operations against Iran are outside the scope of the Trump administration’s plans to have allies and partners pick up more of the burden for collective security.
Elbridge Colby during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington on March 3. Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg
The White House held a meeting Friday to discuss recent incidents where a military laser system was used near the Texas border with Mexico without proper coordination between government agencies, according to people familiar with the matter.
The White House held a meeting Friday to discuss recent incidents where a military laser system was used near the Texas border with Mexico without proper coordination between government agencies, according to people familiar with the matter.
A Texas National Guard humvee at the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, US, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. The Pentagon is sending 1,500 troops to the US southwest border, and several military transport aircraft are already on their way to help deport more than 5,000 migrants put in detention by the Biden administration, defense officials said Wednesday.
President Donald Trump put his son-in-law Jared Kushner and longtime friend Steve Witkoff in charge of resolving the war in Ukraine and a standoff with Iran. On Thursday, they juggled those momentous issues within hours of each other.
President Donald Trump put his son-in-law Jared Kushner and longtime friend Steve Witkoff in charge of resolving the war in Ukraine and a standoff with Iran. On Thursday, they juggled those momentous issues within hours of each other.
President Donald Trump claimed that Iran is working to reconstitute its nuclear program even as it negotiates with Washington, adding to speculation that he’s preparing for a fresh round of military strikes in the coming days.
President Donald Trump claimed that Iran is working to reconstitute its nuclear program even as it negotiates with Washington, adding to speculation that he’s preparing for a fresh round of military strikes in the coming days.
The US military has boarded another sanctioned tanker with links to Venezuela after chasing it into the Indian Ocean, as the Trump administration continues to enforce a maritime blockade against the Latin American nation.
The US military has boarded another sanctioned tanker with links to Venezuela after chasing it into the Indian Ocean, as the Trump administration continues to enforce a maritime blockade against the Latin American nation.
The US military is stationing a vast array of forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, fighter jets and refueling tankers, with President Donald Trump saying that Iran had 10 to 15 days at most to strike a deal over its nuclear program.
The US military is stationing a vast array of forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, fighter jets and refueling tankers, with President Donald Trump saying that Iran had 10 to 15 days at most to strike a deal over its nuclear program.
The general in charge of US Southern Command, charged with overseeing the military buildup in the Western Hemisphere and an ongoing campaign of strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, made a surprise visit to Venezuela on Wednesday.
The general in charge of US Southern Command, charged with overseeing the military buildup in the Western Hemisphere and an ongoing campaign of strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, made a surprise visit to Venezuela on Wednesday.
Francis Donovan Photographer: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images
The US military has spent years working to defeat increasingly numerous and capable drones with directed-energy systems that cost less and offer more rounds than traditional missiles. One of those systems was at the center of the confusing airspace closure in El Paso, Texas last week.
The US military has spent years working to defeat increasingly numerous and capable drones with directed-energy systems that cost less and offer more rounds than traditional missiles. One of those systems was at the center of the confusing airspace closure in El Paso, Texas last week.
US military members monitor and install barbed wire fences along the Rio Grande River following the suspension of flights in El Paso, Texas on Feb. 11, 2026.
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