Pentagon confirms it used Anthropic Claude AI to select Iran strike targets while Trump

The Pentagon confirmed US Central Command used Anthropic Claude AI to identify and prioritize targets during Operation Epic Fury — even after Trump declared Anthropic a national security risk and barred all federal agencies from its products. Defense Secretary Hegseth had labeled Anthropic a supply-chain risk after CEO Dario Amodei refused to remove safeguards against autonomous weapons use. The disclosure triggered bipartisan demands about AI role in combat targeting and whether human commanders retained final authority.