Pentagon fires general it says leaked classified information to media

What the report says

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, the director of the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after the Pentagon accused him of leaking classified information to journalists. According to a Department of Defense official cited by Al Jazeera, Sylvia was under investigation over alleged disclosures tied to Iran and the war between Russia and Ukraine. The official said the case had been referred to the Department of Justice.

The Pentagon described Sylvia’s removal as a response to serious misconduct and said he had been meeting with reporters outside the department. The official also alleged that Sylvia failed three polygraph tests, though no independent evidence was provided in the report. There was no immediate replacement named for the post, known as the J5, which is part of the Joint Chiefs’ planning structure.

Al Jazeera reported that Sylvia had previously commanded the 101st Airborne Division and had served in senior staff roles before taking the Joint Chiefs position. His firing comes amid a broader effort by Hegseth to investigate leaks inside the Pentagon, and as Washington has been warning allies about the possibility of renewed strikes against Iran. The report places the move in the context of heightened US military and political tensions involving Iran and Ukraine.