Fired US general admits leaking classified Iran info

Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, a former US Army general, has confessed to leaking classified information regarding the wars in Iran and Ukraine to journalists over a period of about a year, according to an internal investigation. Sylvia, who previously headed the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate, known as the J5, admitted to sharing sensitive data with two journalists from distinct media outlets, as reported by Axios.

The investigation led to his dismissal on Wednesday, a move described by the Pentagon as a result of "severe misconduct." The disclosure of his guilty admission came after he failed multiple polygraph tests. The investigation also referred the case to the Department of Justice, with the matter still under active consideration.

Reports suggest that the alleged leaks began in June 2025 and persisted even after the Pentagon had tightened media access restrictions. Sylvia allegedly communicated with the journalists via the encrypted messaging app Signal and met one of them in person at a diner in Arlington, Virginia. During one of these meetings, it's alleged that Sylvia shared information about US assistance to Ukraine while using notes he made while reviewing a classified report. The journalist, who was working on a book, met Sylvia twice under these circumstances.

Notably, Sylvia did not coordinate these meetings with the Pentagon's public affairs office nor seek clearance from them before sharing the information, as per the report. Furthermore, he claimed he could not remember the precise contents of a Signal message from June or July believed to concern Iran, which he thought was deleted accidentally. However, US officials suspect it was a deliberate action to cover his tracks.

US officials believe that Sylvia may have erased the communications intentionally. The allegations also extend to his alleged leaking of classified information concerning the Iran war, Russia's war in Ukraine, and other matters. An unnamed official told Al Jazeera that Sylvia was already under investigation for these leaks, which they believe put national security at risk.

They also noted that Sylvia was not part of the central planning for the Iran war, which was overseen by US Central Command and its commander, Adm Brad Cooper.

President Donald Trump, when asked about the dismissal on Thursday, commented that Sylvia had "big problems" and that the administration was "very much looking for leakers." This dismissal comes amid a broader crackdown on unauthorized disclosures by the Pentagon. In July, the Pentagon had announced a joint task force with the Justice Department to identify leakers and prioritize prosecutions against the unauthorised release of classified information.