WASHINGTON — Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, a defence official said on Wednesday, in 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, the Associated Press reported.

Source: Associated Press via Ottumwa Courier

Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia was removed as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The post, known in military circles as the “J5”, develops and coordinates military plans and strategy for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president. Sylvia is the second general to be ousted from the J5 post under Hegseth; his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October.

The defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said no reason was given for Sylvia's dismissal and no immediate replacement is planned, LaPresse reported, adding that The Atlantic first reported the decision. A Joint Staff spokesperson thanked Sylvia and his family for “32 years of distinguished service to our nation” and wished them well, without explaining the move.

Source: LaPresse, reporting the AP account and the Joint Staff statement

Why the timing matters

The J5 vacancy opens at the top of US war planning while the administration reviews its next phase against Iran. Trump has repeatedly hinted at launching new military operations against Iran, and reporting in recent days has pointed to a possible resumption of strikes after the November 3 midterm elections — a decision the J5 office would normally help turn into operational plans.

Before joining the Joint Staff, Sylvia commanded the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, and had previously served as the J5's vice director, the Associated Press account carried by Press TV said. His official biography has since been taken offline.

Sylvia joins nearly two dozen generals, admirals and other senior military leaders who have been dismissed, pressured to retire or otherwise left their posts since Hegseth took charge of the Pentagon, most without a public explanation. Last month Hegseth said he had ordered deeper cuts to senior officer ranks — doubling the planned reduction to 20 per cent of positions, to be completed by January 1, 2027 — calling it “accountability”, while critics in Congress, including Senator Mark Kelly, have called the removals a purge that could take a generation to repair, according to reporting on the cuts.