Pentagon polygraphs dozens of US military staff over media leaks: Report

About 50 officers on the US Joint Staff have been interrogated over reports detailing depleted weapons stockpiles during Iran conflict, says The New York Times.

US President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland [File: Daniel Heuer/Reuters]

United States investigators have subjected about 50 members of the US military’s Joint Staff to lie detector tests following a series of unauthorised media leaks, according to a report by The New York Times (NYT).

The inquiry focused on whether civilian and military personnel leaked classified details to reporters, particularly concerning dwindling US ammunition reserves , the newspaper reported on Friday.

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The polygraph examinations took place last month after news outlets published several reports highlighting severe drops in key weapons supplies, including long-range missiles and Patriot air defence interceptors. US officials had pushed back on these reports, insisting their weapons stockpiles were more than sufficient.

In a statement to the NYT, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to address internal administrative or investigative actions directly, but emphasised that the department takes leaks of national security information “extremely seriously and investigates accordingly”.

“Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world,” Parnell added.

The Joint Staff, which consists of between 1,500 and 2,000 military and civilian staff, plays a key role in coordinating operational strategy, policy and war planning with combat commands globally.

Sources familiar with the inquiry told the NYT that the aggressive push was designed not only to identify the individuals behind the disclosures, but also to deter potential future leakers.

Legal and military experts say the scale of the investigation is unprecedented, as the top ranks of the US armed forces have never undergone widespread polygraph testing in modern history.

The move follows widespread reporting on how active military operations involving Iran have severely strained US weapon reserves, causing internal debates over the broader direction of the conflict.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed officials to crack down on unauthorised disclosures. In addition to calling for strict enforcement, Trump has publicly branded critical media coverage regarding munition shortages and the administration’s handling of the conflict in Iran as “ treasonous ”.

The persistent leaks have deepened an atmosphere of deep distrust inside the Pentagon, which current and former officials attribute to the management style of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth .

Operating alongside a tight circle of close aides, Hegseth has ousted or blocked the promotions of at least 80 generals, admirals and senior officials during his tenure, the report said.

The Pentagon has launched multiple leak probes in response to media coverage of Hegseth’s leadership, even as he faced criticism for sharing sensitive operational details in a Signal group chat.

The internal tensions escalated further last month when the Defence Department fired the top editor and publisher of Stars and Stripes, an independent, government-funded military news publication.

Staff members said the move was direct retaliation for stories detailing deteriorating conditions on board the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln .

Despite the mounting friction, Trump has backed Hegseth, publicly praising his performance as “fantastic”.

《纽约时报》报道称，约有 50 名美国联合参谋部官员因有关伊朗冲突期间武器库存耗尽的报告而受到讯问。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在马里兰州瑟蒙特戴维营举行的内阁会议上聆听国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯的讲话。[图片：丹尼尔·休尔/路透社]

据《纽约时报》报道，在发生一系列未经授权的媒体泄密事件后，美国调查人员对美国军方联合参谋部的约 50 名成员进行了测谎仪测试。

据该报周五报道，调查的重点是平民和军方人员是否向记者泄露了机密细节，特别是有关美国弹药储备日益减少的细节。

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上个月，在多家新闻媒体报道关键武器供应大幅下降，包括远程导弹和爱国者防空拦截系统之后，美方进行了测谎检查。美国官员否认了这些报道，坚称其武器库存绰绰有余。

五角大楼发言人肖恩·帕内尔在给《纽约时报》的一份声明中拒绝直接回应内部行政或调查行动，但他强调，国防部“极其重视”国家安全信息的泄露，并会进行相应的调查。

帕内尔补充说：“保护机密信息对于确保美国及其部署在世界各地的军队的安全至关重要。”

联合参谋部由 1500 至 2000 名军事和文职人员组成，在与全球作战司令部协调作战战略、政策和战争计划方面发挥着关键作用。

熟悉调查情况的消息人士告诉《纽约时报》，此次强力调查不仅是为了找出泄密者，也是为了阻止未来潜在的泄密者。

法律和军事专家表示，此次调查的规模前所未有，因为在现代历史上，美国武装部队的高层从未接受过大规模的测谎测试。

此前有大量报道指出，涉及伊朗的军事行动严重消耗了美国的武器储备，引发了美国国内关于冲突走向的辩论。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普多次敦促官员严厉打击未经授权的信息披露。除了呼吁严格执法外，特朗普还公开将媒体对弹药短缺和政府处理伊朗冲突方式的批评性报道斥为“叛国”。

持续不断的泄密事件加深了五角大楼内部根深蒂固的不信任感，现任和前任官员将此归咎于国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯的管理风格。

报告称，赫格塞斯在其任期内，在其亲信圈子的协助下，至少罢免或阻止了 80 名将军、海军上将和高级官员的晋升。

针对媒体对赫格塞斯领导能力的报道，五角大楼已展开多项泄密调查，与此同时，赫格塞斯还因在 Signal 群聊中分享敏感作战细节而受到批评。

上个月，国防部解雇了《星条旗报》（Stars and Stripes）的总编辑兼出版人，这进一步加剧了内部紧张局势。《星条旗报》是一家独立的、政府资助的军事新闻出版物。

工作人员表示，此举是对有关“亚伯拉罕·林肯”号航空母舰上状况恶化的报道的直接报复。

尽管摩擦不断加剧，特朗普仍然支持赫格塞斯，并公开称赞他的表现“非常出色”。