Who is Brett Sylvia and what happened

Lt Gen Brett Sylvia, a senior army strategist posted to the Pentagon's joint staff, has reportedly been removed from his post by defense secretary Pete Hegseth amid claims that classified material reached the public. His role was director for strategy, plans and policy on the joint staff.

In an announcement on Thursday, the Pentagon said an alleged leak case had been sent for criminal investigation.

What the Pentagon says

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed on social media that a dismissal had taken place, without naming Sylvia.

To keep the investigation intact, Parnell said, no further comment would come on the individual or the circumstances. He said the case, together with others, has gone to the Justice Department for possible legal action.

Polygraph claims and Sylvia's side

According to Reuters, a senior Pentagon official said Sylvia did not pass three separate polygraph tests, each asking whether he had given classified material to others.

The same official told the agency: "The extent of his leaking became so critical that Secretary Hegseth took immediate action and fired Sylvia in order to protect national security."

• •A colleague of the general, speaking to the Washington Post, said Sylvia had always denied leaking classified information.
• •That colleague also said Sylvia had, in the past, been in contact with journalists.

Hegseth's wider leak crackdown

Sylvia's removal counts among the most far-reaching moves yet in Hegseth's effort to find officials believed to be talking to reporters, with the US war on Iran now in its ninth month. The effort has included:

• •A taskforce the Pentagon set up jointly with the Justice Department in July, meant to find and prosecute what Hegseth called unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information to the press.
• •New rules on media access introduced last year, which drew legal concerns from press organizations.
• •Dozens of reporters giving up their press badges rather than accepting those policies, which are being challenged legally.
• •A federal lawsuit filed in August by three journalists the Pentagon had fired from the US government-funded outlet Stars and Stripes, who argue their dismissals were unlawful and infringed first amendment rights.

The Justice Department referral means possible legal action ahead, and the Pentagon has said it will stay silent while the investigation proceeds.