ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA — The Pentagon has restricted access to decades of classified military documents on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet). Documents associated with the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB) were removed from an internal web portal on SIPRNet days after senior U.S. commanders expressed reservations about prolonging military operations against Iran.

The SDOB allows senior military leaders to formally register reservations about orders while continuing to carry them out through a process known as "non-concurring." Commanders and their staff rely on access to the SDOB for time-sensitive decisions and notifications. The SDOB contains information on the location and availability of U.S. warships, military units, weapons systems, and other resources.

Moving aircraft and weapons from one command to another requires urgent logistical work to redirect equipment and resources. Restricting access to the relevant information could make the logistical process slower and more difficult, according to a former defense official. SIPRNet is an internetwork used by the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. State Department for secret communications.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to discuss the reported change with the Washington Post on Wednesday but did not dispute that it had occurred. He said the Department of War does not publicly discuss internal operational deliberative processes, including the management, handling, or access protocols for the Secretary of War Orders Book (SWOB), according to a statement to the newspaper.

He added that the success of service members is Secretary Hegseth's top priority, and decisions regarding operational processes, force posture, and deliberative staffing are managed through appropriate security channels to ensure mission security and operational integrity. Following the Washington Post's Sunday report, he said on social media that much of what the newspaper published was inaccurate, though he did not specify which details he disputed.

He said non-concurs are standard and that the Secretary sees them constantly, adding that this is how you run a real military and that the U.S. is in great shape around the world. SIPRNet contains information classified as "secret," while top-secret information is held on more highly classified networks with fewer people granted access.

Why It Matters

The restriction limits access to a system that senior leaders use to track resources and register formal objections to orders. Commanders depend on this data for time-sensitive logistical decisions, and a former defense official warned that limiting access could slow those processes. The timing follows explicit warnings from multiple service chiefs that extending deployments carries risks to readiness in other theaters.

Timeline

On August 14, 2026, several senior US military leaders raised concerns in the classified August 14 edition of the SDOB about continuing operations against Iran. On the same date, the SDOB called for some US troops deployed in the Middle East to remain in the region through September, while others would remain until 2027. Also on August 14, 2026, the officials warned that prolonging the war could weaken the US military's ability to respond to threats elsewhere.