The Pentagon is preparing for a conflict with Iran that could last well beyond President Donald Trump’s initial four-week timeline, with US Central Command asking for additional military intelligence officers to support operations for at least 100 days — and potentially through September, Politico reported.
CENTCOM made the request to send more intelligence personnel to its Tampa, Florida headquarters in a notification obtained by the outlet, marking the first known call by the administration for dedicated intelligence resources tied to the conflict. The Pentagon is already allocating funding for a longer campaign as fighting between Israel, Iran and Iran-backed groups spreads across the region.
The United States launched a large-scale military operation alongside Israel targeting Iranian security infrastructure, including strikes that killed the country’s supreme leader and other senior officials, according to the report. American and Israeli officials have not yet clearly defined the long-term objectives of the campaign.
Iran has retaliated with strikes on Israeli, American and allied targets across the Middle East. At least six US troops were killed in a drone attack on a facility in Kuwait, raising concerns among military planners about the exposure of American bases in the region.
The Pentagon is also moving to deploy additional air defence systems to the region, including counter-drone technology.
Iranian Shahed drones — cheap, low-flying and capable of evading some radar systems — have already penetrated certain air defences, forcing the US military to respond with interceptor missiles that cost far more than the drones themselves.
Iran is believed to hold thousands of such drones, according to the report, fuelling concerns that a prolonged conflict could deplete defensive systems and munitions stocks.
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