Hegseth Fires Pentagon's Top War Planner, Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, Over Alleged Iran War Leaks
A Pentagon official says the three-star failed three polygraph tests on sharing classified information with the press. Others say the accusation is false, and the case is now with the Justice Department.
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, several sources confirmed to CBS News late Wednesday. The removal lands in the middle of the Iran war, and just days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive personnel matter, said Sylvia was accused of misconduct for allegedly leaking classified information about both the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war. The official said he failed three polygraph tests about sharing classified material with the press, and that the case has been referred to the Justice Department.
Two other Pentagon sources told CBS News the firing was tied to the polygraph results, but said the accusations against Sylvia are not true. The Pentagon has not released evidence either way, and Sylvia has not publicly responded.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell did not name Sylvia in a statement posted on social media. He said that "following an extensive Air Force OSI investigation, the Department took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information." He added that "this matter, along with others" had been referred to the Justice Department. "Classified information is not personal property," Parnell wrote. "We vowed to find you, and we meant it."
Sylvia led strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, a post known as J5, and was coordinating the battle plan for Iran. President Trump is weighing whether to resume strikes on Iran after the midterms. He is the second general to be pushed out of that job under Hegseth. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire in October 2025.
The Joint Staff's own messaging shifted within hours. A spokesperson first extended "the deepest gratitude" for Sylvia's 32 years of service, then retracted the statement. "Upon further review, we determined that the statement did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances," the spokesperson said, adding that out of respect for the servicemember and the ongoing personnel process there would be no further comment.
Hegseth has made rooting out leakers a priority. Sources told CBS News last month that high-ranking military officials were being subjected to polygraph tests. Three staffers from his office were escorted out last year during a leak investigation, though the Pentagon never released any findings.
Sylvia's record is not a thin one. He is a former commander of the 101st Airborne Division with multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. He earned a Bronze Star for Valor and a Purple Heart after being wounded in a gunfight with the Taliban, across a combat career spanning 32 years.
The firing leaves the Joint Staff without its lead planner for a war that remains unresolved. Iran has not dropped its core conditions for a ceasefire, and the administration has said it may restart strikes once the election is over. Whether the leak allegations hold up will now be decided by Justice Department investigators, not by the Pentagon's own statements.
