U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers a State of the Forces address at Marine Corps Base Quantico September 30, 2026 in Quantico, Virginia.
Alex Wong | Getty Images
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly fired the Pentagon’s top military planner amid concerns that Washington will resume strikes against Iran after the midterm elections.
Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia has been removed as chief of strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to the Associated Press. No reason was given for his dismissal and no one was named to replace him. Sylvia is now retired, ABC News reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The AP also reported that U.S. officials had asked some Middle Eastern countries to prepare for possible further military action against Iran after next week’s midterm elections, as well as any Iranian retaliation.
Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran “committing one of Iran’s most powerful hardliners to restart peace negotiations.”
Trump downplayed the idea of peace talks, telling reporters, “They need help with medical supplies and various things,” adding, “he asked me what I thought. I said, ‘If you want to do that, that’s no big deal.'”
On the Tehran side, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote Wednesday evening on X that “Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance of success.”
He said Iran remained “in close and continuous contact with intermediaries to review ideas that could ensure the implementation of our seven-day plan in less than a week.”
The 7-day plan was proposed last month and Tehran said the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored if the necessary conditions – which would include an end to hostilities and the release of frozen Iranian assets – were met.
Tehran would then reopen the strait to normal commercial navigation and resume negotiations with Washington.
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