{"id":379012,"date":"2026-04-02T23:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T23:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/379012\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T23:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T23:18:11","slug":"us-defence-secretary-asks-army-chief-of-staff-to-step-down-as-war-with-iran-continues-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/379012\/","title":{"rendered":"US defence secretary asks army chief of staff to step down as war with Iran continues \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

US<\/a> army \u200cchief of staff Randy George has been asked to step down \u200cby defence secretary Pete Hegseth<\/a>, two US defence officials \u200band a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.<\/p>\n

A Pentagon spokesperson said late on Thursday night that George would be retiring from his position with immediate effect.<\/p>\n

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved quickly to reshape the \u200bdepartment, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement \u2060Trump<\/a>\u2019s national security agenda.<\/p>\n

The sources did not indicate \u200cwhy \u200cHegseth \u200basked George to leave his post. The move was first reported by CBS News.<\/p>\n

George, \u2060an infantry officer \u200bwho served in Iraq \u200band Afghanistan, was confirmed to the top Army post \u200cin 2023. Terms in that role \u200busually run for four years.<\/p>\n

George\u2019s removal adds to recent upheaval at all levels of leadership at the Pentagon, including the firing last year of the previous chairman of the \u200cjoint chiefs of \u2060staff, air force gen C Q Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and air \u200cforce vice-chief of staff.<\/p>\n

The office for George did not immediately \u200brespond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Also on Thursday night, United Nations secretary general Ant\u00f3nio Guterres again called for a \u201cpeaceful way out\u201d of the conflict in the Middle East, saying in a post on X: \u201cThe spiral of death and destruction must stop now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every day the war in the Middle East continues, human suffering & devastation grow, indiscriminate attacks grow & the perils to our world grow.<\/p>\n

The conflict is being felt everywhere.<\/p>\n

We must find a peaceful way out.<\/p>\n

The spiral of death & destruction must stop now. pic.twitter.com\/rqAnWYgiII<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ant\u00f3nio Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the whole Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe,\u201d he said earlier on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, French president Emmanuel Macron<\/a> hit out at Donald Trump<\/a>, saying he was undermining Nato<\/a> by creating \u201cdaily doubt about his commitment\u201d to the alliance.<\/p>\n

The US president, in interviews to various media this week, made disparaging comments about Nato, calling it a \u201cpaper tiger\u201d and threatening to pull the US out of it.<\/p>\n

Macron said it would be \u201cunrealistic\u201d to try to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through military means.<\/p>\n

Such an operation would take an indefinite time and expose those involved to risks from Iran<\/a>\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including ballistic missiles, he told reporters on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has never been the option that we\u2019ve chosen and we think it\u2019s unrealistic,\u201d Macron said. \u201cWe must be able to reopen this strait because it\u2019s strategic for energy, fertilisers and international trade, but it can only be done in consultation with Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FrenchFrench president Emmanuel Macron during a visit to the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Thursday. Photograph: Ludovic Marin\/AFP via Getty <\/p>\n

Dozens of countries are urgently seeking ways to restart energy shipments through the \u200cStrait of Hormuz after Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, causing oil and gas prices to surge on world markets.<\/p>\n

Trump said operations would be intensified and gave no timeline for ending hostilities, drawing threats of retaliation from Tehran and sending share prices lower.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re \u200bgoing to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We\u2019re going to bring them back to the stone ages where they belong,\u201d Trump said in a televised address<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"USUS president Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on Wednesday. Photograph: Doug Mills\/New York Times<\/p>\n

However, his speech offered little new, as he repeated that the US was still on track to reach its objectives \u201cshortly\u201d while at the same repeating his threat to send Iran back to the \u201cstone ages\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen this conflict is over, the Strait will open up naturally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper reiterated the \u201curgent need\u201d to reopen the strait during a virtual summit with more than 40 global counterparts to discuss the fate of the strategic waterway, where ship traffic has been blocked during the Middle East war, causing oil and gas prices to surge on world markets.<\/p>\n

Macron also said US military operations would not prevent nuclear proliferation, calling for an international mission of inspectors to verify Iran\u2019s sites.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would remind you that six months ago, we were told everything had been destroyed, that everything was settled and done with,\u201d Macron said.<\/p>\n

\"PeoplePeople walk along Tabiat Bridge in Tehran as Iranians celebrate Sizdah Bedar, also known as nature day, on Thursday. Photograph: Majid Saeedi\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

On Thursday, day 34 of the war, the Iranian city of Isfahan was heavily bombed along with Karaj, and a bridge on a highway connecting the city to the capital Tehran was hit.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted US-linked steel and aluminium facilities in Gulf states, adding that if Iranian industries are hit, Tehran\u2019s \u201cnext response again will be more painful\u201d.<\/p>\n

The United Arab Emirates defence ministry said it intercepted 19 ballistic missiles and 26 drones launched on Thursday. <\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf claimed that seven million Iranians have volunteered for military service since the start of the war. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done it before, and we\u2019re ready to do it again. You come for our home … you\u2019re gonna meet the whole family,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cBring it on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eighteen European countries, including Ireland, have issued a joint statement calling on Israel and Hizbullah to end hostilities.<\/p>\n

Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam stressed that \u201cwe are committed to working to end the war\u201d, adding that statements by Israeli officials and Israel Defense Forces actions point to a significant expansion of the occupation of Lebanese territory. \u2013 Additional reporting: Reuters<\/p>\n