Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Local Syrian sources: An Israeli airstrike targeted a tank and artillery battalion in the city of Izraa in the Daraa countryside
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in eastern Lebanon: 12 martyrs and 5 wounded in Israeli raids targeting the outskirts of Wadi Fa'ra in the northern Bekaa Valley
Local Syrian sources: More than 10 Israeli raids targeted Sweida, with information about more than five casualties from the Internal Security Forces
Local Syrian sources: Initial reports indicate that approximately 15 people were killed or wounded at the al-Radwan family's guest house in Sweida following a direct exchange of gunfire
Israeli media, citing Israeli political sources, reported that the Shas movement is expected to withdraw from the government within less than 24 hours
Qatari Foreign Ministry: Negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are still in the first stage. We are continuing our efforts around the clock
Channel 14, citing a senior Israeli political source, reported: The attacks in Syria and Tel Aviv's offensive policy are coordinated with the Americans
Lebanese Ministry of Health's Emergency Operations Center: Six injured as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon
Israeli media: The Israeli Air Force has launched a wave of large-scale attacks on southern Syria
UNRWA: One in 10 children in Gaza suffers from malnutrition

Pentagon split over 'Israel' military aid exposes foreign policy rift

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Semafor
  • 15 Jun 2025 12:13
4 Min Read

A Pentagon rift over military aid to "Israel" reveals tensions between advocates of Middle East engagement and those prioritizing Asia, shaping Trump’s foreign policy.

Listen
  • x
  • US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the West Wing of the White House, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
    US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the West Wing of the White House, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Top Pentagon officials are split over the extent of US military backing for "Israel", a division poised to influence President Donald Trump’s second-term foreign policy direction, Ben Smith, founder of news website Semafor, wrote in a recent exclusive publication. 

General Michael Kurilla, chief of US Central Command, has advocated for increased resources to defend "Israel" amid growing Iranian retaliation. In contrast, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, a key proponent of the "restrainer" movement, has opposed diverting US military assets from Asia to the Middle East.

The Iran war embodies the core tension for Colby and his allies: the US has long aimed to fulfill the "pivot to Asia" strategy first announced by Barack Obama in 2011, but practical demands and political pressures continually refocus US military engagement on the Middle East.

Shifting priorities within the Pentagon

According to Smith, Colby’s opposition stems from concern that Middle East deployments, such as the April relocation of a Patriot missile battery from South Korea, could impair US readiness in future conflicts with China or North Korea. Trump, despite aiding "Israel" militarily, has at times bristled at overt coordination, allegedly dismissing National Security Adviser Mike Waltz partly due to his close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Related News

US reportedly considers sending long-range ATACMS missiles to Kiev

Jebraily: Iran strikes rewrote regional deterrence rules - Exclusive

Trump’s appointment of Colby sparked concern among pro-Israeli hawks, who interpreted it as a possible shift toward reduced US support. The dismissal of Waltz and Trump’s allowance for "Israel" to strike Iran "independently" further suggested a hands-off approach. However, Colby’s influence appears to be waning.

It is worth noting that the US was informed of the strikes on Iran, and despite claiming it is not involved in the assault, Iran stressed that the attacks were carried out with the American green light. Trump also repeatedly threatened Iran and vowed to defend "Israel". 

Kurilla gains ground 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly purged several of Colby’s allies in April, aligning more closely with Kurilla. The Free Press’s Eli Lake reported that the new Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, Michael Dimino, also from the "restrainer" camp, has raised alarm among Trump loyalists who believe Middle East engagement remains vital.

“You have a guy who is going to be the deputy for Middle East policy who doesn’t think the United States should be in the Middle East. Somebody should call Elon at DOGE,” one Trump ally quipped.

Earlier this month, Al-Monitor reported Kurilla had requested a second aircraft carrier strike group be deployed to the region. Though the Pentagon has not confirmed the deployment, the US has begun moving warships and aircraft into the area. A scheduled visit by the USS Nimitz to Vietnam was abruptly canceled due to “emergent operational requirements.”

The future of American policy

A key force behind the "restrainer" ideology is Defense Priorities, a group funded by Charles Koch’s Stand Together. The organization recently issued a nuanced position advocating reduced Israeli dependency on US military guarantees: “A more secure, diplomatically connected Israel would rely less on American military support and more on regional partnerships to ensure its future.”

Colby and the Pentagon’s press office did not respond to media inquiries, but internal dynamics suggest a growing advantage for those favoring traditional US involvement in the Middle East. As Trump balances his “America First” ethos with regional alliances, the outcome of this internal debate will shape the trajectory of US-Israeli relations in a time of regional volatility.

Read more: 'Major schism' in Trump coalition amid Iran-'Israel' escalation

  • United States
  • Republican Party
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation
  • Michael Kurilla
  • Pete Hegseth
  • Middle East
  • Donald Trump
  • Iran
War on Iran

War on Iran

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after an Iranian attack at the al Udeid Airbase outside of Doha, Qatar, June 25, 2025 (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Satellite images show Iran attack damaged US comms dome in Qatari base

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025
An Israeli soldier abandons an excavator during an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades. Arabic text reads "The moment the soldier fled", July, 10, 2025 (Al Qassam Military Media)

Israeli media rue al-Qassam footage, alarmed by fighters among troops

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Al Mayadeen: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned
Politics

Exclusive: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned

Rutte, Trump
US & Canada

Trump threatens 100% secondary tariffs on Russia, sets deadline

Syrian government soldiers on a motorcycle pass by a burning tank on the outskirts of Sweida city, where clashes erupted between the Druze community and Bedouine clans, in southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli airstrikes target Syrian military factions near Sweida

Lebanon, US, disarmament
MENA

US pressure on Lebanon grows over Resistance disarmament plan

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS