Politico: U.S. Expects War With Iran To Last Until September

• 5.03.2026, 10:14

Central Command made a request to the Pentagon.

U.S. military leaders expect the war with Iran to last several months - roughly until September.

This is reported by Politico.

The publication reports that the U.S. Central Command has asked the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days, but probably until September.

The rush to bring in people and resources that would normally be organized well in advance of U.S. military action underscores that Trump's team did not fully anticipate the massive consequences of the war it launched with Israel.

"What we're seeing is a totally spontaneous operation where it seems like nobody really understood or believed that military action was imminent. It looks like they woke up Saturday morning and decided to go to war," said Gerald Feierstein, a former top U.S. diplomat who has been involved in Middle East affairs.

A U.S. official said the Pentagon is also trying to send more air defense assets to the region, especially smaller and less expensive counter-drone systems that the agency has been developing over the past several years.

The strike that killed U.S. service members is of particular concern to military planners because it was carried out by a relatively inexpensive Shahed drone that can often fly below existing radar.

The U.S. is now using missiles that typically cost several million dollars to neutralize drones that cost much less.

At the same time, many of the drones the U.S. could use in response have not yet been used in combat because U.S. troops have not yet faced such a large-scale threat.