Overview
- Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby testified that the National Defense Strategy aligns with ongoing operations and said the Iran campaign is not intended to be an endless war.
- Senators from both parties challenged the strategy, with Sen. Jack Reed calling it flawed and outdated and Sen. Roger Wicker faulting its silence on nuclear policy and reduced emphasis on the Middle East, Russia and North Korea.
- The January 23 strategy, introduced with a letter from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shifts priority to homeland and Western Hemisphere defense and urges allies to assume greater military responsibility, stating Israel can defend itself with limited U.S. support.
- The U.S. and Israel began extensive strikes in Iran on Saturday under Operation Epic Fury, with President Trump outlining goals to dismantle Iran’s missile forces and navy and to prevent a nuclear weapon, while Hegseth did not rule out deploying ground troops.
- CENTCOM reported six U.S. service members killed and 18 seriously wounded as of Monday, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said preemptive action followed intelligence that Israeli strikes would trigger attacks on U.S. forces.