Top US military commanders have told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the Iran war is draining weapons and leaving the homeland less protected — bad news for US readiness and for anyone hoping the conflict ends soon.

• A leaked classified orders book from mid-August shows the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force and four-star commanders objecting to extending the Iran operation.
• Stockpiles are running low: air-defense interceptors, Tomahawk missiles, and three-quarters of the Reaper drone fleet are gone.
• The Navy says only a quarter of its destroyers are ready to deploy, and there is no end date to the war.
• Ships and aircraft are being pulled from Europe, Asia and Latin America, leaving little in place if China or North Korea acts.
• Commanders filed formal disagreements but will follow the orders anyway; US bases in Gulf countries have taken billions in damage from Iranian strikes.

Outlook: Troops are ordered to stay in the region into 2027, so the strain on weapons stocks and global coverage will likely get worse before it eases.