The US military reportedly relied on Anthropic’s AI during a major air strike on Iran just hours after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using the company’s systems. Sources cited by The Wall Street Journal say commands including US Central Command (CENTCOM) used Anthropic’s Claude model to support operations, aiding intelligence analysis, identifying potential targets and running battlefield simulations.
The episode highlights how advanced AI has become woven into defense workflows: even as the administration moved to sever ties with Anthropic, Claude remained embedded in military processes. The White House directed agencies to cease working with the company and instructed the Defense Department to treat it as a potential security risk after contract negotiations collapsed. According to reports, Anthropic refused to grant the government unrestricted military use of its models for any lawful request, prompting the federal action.
Anthropic previously held a multiyear Pentagon contract worth up to $200 million alongside other major AI labs. Through partnerships involving Palantir and Amazon Web Services, Claude had been approved for classified intelligence and operational use and was reportedly used in earlier missions, including a January operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Tensions rose after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pressed Anthropic to allow unrestricted military use of its models. CEO Dario Amodei declined, saying the company would not permit certain applications—such as mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons—even if it meant losing government business. The Pentagon has since sought alternatives, reportedly striking an agreement with OpenAI to deploy its models on classified military networks.
Anthropic’s leadership pushed back publicly against the ban, arguing some military applications cross ethical lines and insisting human control should remain central to critical decisions. The US government characterized the firm as a defense “supply chain risk” and barred contractors from using its products.
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