Pentagon restricts access to classified Orders Book following Post report on Iran war concerns - report

The Pentagon has removed decades of classified documents tied to the Secretary of Defense Orders Book from an internal web portal. This is according to a report by the Washington Post, which reported that senior military leaders had privately warned against extending large-scale operations in Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Documents associated with the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB) were pulled from the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet), a classified system widely used by defense officials and US troops, sources told The Post. It remains unclear whether personnel can still access the documents through other means, or how the change could affect military planning.

SIPRNet holds information classified as "secret," while more sensitive material is stored on more restricted networks.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to discuss the change but did not dispute that it occurred. Parnell said the Department of War "does not publicly discuss internal operational deliberative processes" related to what the administration now calls the Secretary of War Orders Book.

The SDOB details the location and availability of US warships, military units and weapons systems. It also allows top generals and admirals to formally register disagreement with orders from President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth through a process known as "non-concurring," even as they carry those orders out.

The document, published twice monthly, drew scrutiny after The Post reported that several senior officers warned Hegseth that continuing large-scale operations against Iran was unsustainable and risked weakening the military's ability to respond to threats elsewhere.

A former defense official who regularly reviewed the SDOB said restricting access or moving it to more highly classified systems would sharply reduce the number of people able to view it directly. This would potentially slow time-sensitive military planning, including efforts to reroute aircraft, weapons and personnel between commands. The official said the change does not make access impossible, but makes it "certainly more difficult."

The Iran war has now stretched into its seventh month, far longer than Trump initially predicted, amid mounting concern over depleted munitions stockpiles and strain on the Navy's fleet, which has been enforcing a sea blockade against Iran.