Weapons info leak: Trump runs lie test on military officials

Washington: Senior US military officials have been subjected to polygraph tests as part of a Pentagon investigation into the leak of highly classified information about America’s advanced weapons stockpiles.

The unusually broad scrutiny was launched after reports emerged that the US was rapidly depleting supplies of some of its most sophisticated weapons weeks into the war with Iran. The investigation was intensified following pressure from President Donald Trump, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth overseeing efforts to identify those responsible for the leaks.

Officials with access to sensitive information about key weapons systems were questioned over concerns that classified details could have been passed to foreign intelligence agencies. Dozens of military and civilian personnel, including officials from US Central Command and other commands, reportedly underwent testing at the beginning of summer.

The simultaneous testing of so many officials is considered highly unusual, despite polygraph examinations being used periodically within the military and civilian defence establishment. Some senior figures, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine, were reportedly excluded from the process.

The questioning covered national security matters, with investigators also seeking to establish whether those tested had provided information to the media. Sources familiar with the examinations said none of the participants had failed the tests on that issue.

The tests were conducted by military investigators as the Pentagon and Justice Department stepped up efforts to track classified leaks through a joint task force. The Trump administration has increasingly relied on aggressive leak investigations, raising fresh debate within the Defence Department over the use of polygraphs and the extent of the crackdown on unauthorised disclosures.