Pentagon Orders Polygraph Tests for 50 US Military Officials Over Classified Leaks Amid Iran War
US investigators administered mass polygraph tests to 50 high-ranking military officials in August, probing leaks of classified data to journalists, including reports on weapons shortages tied to the Iran war. Trump has denied the shortage claims, calling critics 'treasonous scum' amid the ongoing investigation.
For the first time in modern history, US government investigators have administered mass polygraph tests to 50 high-ranking US military officials as part of an investigation after classified data was leaked to journalists, including information about a shortage of critical weapons due to the Iran war. The report by The New York Times stated that military officers and civilian employees of the US Military's Joint Staff were asked if they leaked sensitive information to journalists.
Aim Was To Track Down Leakers And Deter Future Disclosures
The aim of the polygraph tests, which took place in August, was to track down individuals who had disclosed the private information and to intimidate others who may have done the same in the future, according to the report. The polygraph tests come after a barrage of news reports about diminished munitions such as long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors. Donald Trump Warns US Could Strike Iran’s Deeply Buried ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ Nuclear Facility.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the department 'does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly.' He added, 'Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world.'
Since May 5, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has not given a press briefing about the Iran war and has even limited press access at the Pentagon. Last month, the Pentagon officially fired Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and publisher Max Lederer, along with Middle East correspondent Lara Korte, following a dispute over the newspaper's critical coverage of worsening conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Russia-Ukraine War: Donald Trump Sends Envoys to Moscow, Kyiv With ‘Idea for Peace’.
Trump's Latest Rant Over Reports Of Weapons Shortage
On Thursday, Trump slammed unnamed people and organisations, calling them 'treasonous scum' and denied claims that the United States was running low on its weapons stockpile amid its war with Iran. In a series of posts, Trump attacked the media and people who have warned against an alleged shortage of ammunition, calling such claims 'treasonous' and saying they are '100 per cent wrong.' He wrote in a post on Truth Social that critics 'would rather see the United States LOSE a War that we're easily WINNING, than see me WIN.'
In a follow-up post addressed to a 'treasonous scum,' Trump claimed that the US has 'virtually unlimited' amounts of weapons, adding that the country has far more mid to high grade ammunition than it could ever use for the current conflict or any other war. On Thursday, Trump reiterated that the US was producing munitions at a level 'never seen before,' saying the country was stockpiling and preparing for any contingency, keeping weapons for itself rather than selling them to allies for now, with sales set to resume soon.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2026 09:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
