The Pentagon has subjected roughly 50 members of the U.S. military’s Joint Staff to polygraph tests as part of an investigation into leaks to journalists, including reports about how the war with Iran has depleted U.S. stocks of crucial munitions, The New York Times reported Friday.
The tests, conducted in August, asked military officers and civilian employees whether they had disclosed classified information to the press or provided details about dwindling U.S. supplies of weapons including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors, according to the Times.
The Joint Staff, which coordinates operations, policy and war plans with U.S. combatant commanders worldwide, has between 1,500 and 2,000 personnel. The scale of the polygraph operation is highly unusual. The Times cited a retired Navy judge advocate general who said he had never seen polygraphs used so broadly or at such a senior level.
The investigation comes after multiple reports on the impact of the Iran war on U.S. munitions stockpiles and concerns within the administration over the conflict’s strategic direction. President Donald Trump has pressed officials to aggressively investigate leaks and has called critical media coverage of the war and weapons shortages “treasonous.”
The Times reported that the leak investigations have contributed to an atmosphere of distrust inside the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has also restricted journalists’ access to the department. The Times is challenging those restrictions in court.
The Pentagon said it does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters, but takes leaks of classified national security information “extremely seriously.”
The report comes amid growing criticism of Hegseth from some Republicans in Congress. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for Trump to replace Hegseth, accusing him of “inept management” and saying he is “intimidated by competence.”