US fires top military planner in latest ouster: reports

The United States has fired a top military planner, US media reported, in a surprise shake-up as President Donald Trump appears to be preparing to resume large-scale strikes against Iran. Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia was removed from his role as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, US outlets reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. A spokesperson for the Joint Staff, a top Pentagon body that handles planning and other issues, initially issued a statement that appeared to confirm Sylvia’s departure but later withdrew it, saying: “Out of respect for the servicemember and the ongoing personnel process we will not comment further.

” Since returning to office early last year, Trump has overseen a purge of top military personnel, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February 2025. Other senior officers pushed out include the heads of the US Army, Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the US Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to Nato, and three top military lawyers. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicisation of the traditionally neutral US military. Hegseth said last month that the US had slashed the number of its generals and admirals by 20 per cent , in a move he said was aimed at “accountability”. He suggested the cuts targeted officers who failed to get on board with his efforts to ensure the military is focused on war-fighting rather than the “woke” policies of previous…