Pentagon official defends 2026 defense strategy as lawmakers press for details on Iran operations and munitions

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Kobe defended the 2026 National Defense Strategy on Wednesday, telling the House Armed Services Committee that the plan balances U.S. priorities by restoring homeland defenses, focusing on a denial posture in the Indo‑Pacific and pressing allies to ‘‘step up’’ while expanding the defense industrial base.

Kobe framed the strategy as implementing President Trump’s ‘‘America first, peace through strength’’ approach, saying, "the animating purpose of this strategy was to put into reality the logic of President Trump's common sense America first peace through strength approach." He listed four pillars: homeland security, preserving a favorable balance of power in the Indo‑Pacific, stronger burden‑sharing with allies and a national mobilization of industrial capacity to arm U.S. forces and partners.

Lawmakers pressed Kobe on recent operations against Iran, including the campaign the department and witnesses referred to as Operation Epic Fury. Representative Joe Courtney raised the human cost of the operations, telling the witness, "Six service members have lost their lives," and demanded clearer criteria for what ‘‘success’’ would look like and how long the campaign might last. Kobe said military leaders and the White House had set scoped military objectives to degrade Iran's power‑projection capabilities — missiles, drones and naval forces — and he offered classified briefings for operational specifics.

Members repeatedly queried whether the use of high‑end munitions against Iran risks degrading the military capacity needed to deter China in the Indo‑Pacific. Kobe acknowledged pressures on ‘‘magazine depth’’ and pointed to the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense proposal and efforts to accelerate munitions production as the department’s response. He told the panel the strategy expressly ties industrial mobilization to national security needs and cited recent operations ("Operations Midnight Hammer, Absolute Resolve, and now Epic Fury") as part of the department’s activity.

The hearing also featured sustained questioning about force posture decisions in Europe. Several members pressed Kobe over the October decision to withdraw a brigade from Romania and whether Congress was consulted in a timely manner. Kobe said the decision was coordinated internally and that his office has engaged with congressional committees, but committee members said the record of consultation was inadequate and demanded follow‑up.

On allied burden‑sharing, members cited the $400 million European capacity fund and asked how those funds would be used to strengthen deterrence in Europe and support Ukraine; Kobe committed to follow up with details. Lawmakers also sought updates on Taiwan assistance, the East Coast missile defense site selection and other programmatic items Kobe said he would provide outside the public hearing or in classified sessions.

The committee repeatedly called for more transparent, timely information from the department on troop movements, budget requests and the legal bases for various operations, including maritime strikes in the Western Hemisphere against suspected narcotics trafficking. Kobe repeatedly offered to provide documentation and classified briefings, and he stressed his office’s alignment with presidential guidance while declining to discuss classified deliberations in open session.

The chairman closed the public portion of the hearing after members urged faster follow‑up and more detailed briefings; the committee moved to a classified session to receive further information.

The House committee left on the record outstanding requests for (1) classified operational details and assessments on objectives and timelines for the Iran campaign, (2) specific munitions‑production schedules and budget documentation tied to the proposed increase, and (3) records of consultation and notifications to Congress about changes to force posture in Europe. The Department of Defense told members it would provide those materials or schedule classified briefings.