US Army chief of staff and two other generals were sacked by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, amid the war with Iran.

Hegseth told US Army Chief of Staff Gen Randy George to retire immediately, CNN said quoting a Pentagon official. He also fired two other Army generals — the chief of chaplains, Maj Gen William Green Jr., and the commander of Army Transformation and Training Command, Gen David Hodne.

Hegseth’s move comes a day after President Donald Trump’s address to the nation on the Iran war. In the speech, Trump signaled the US will intensify strikes on Iran, after earlier suggesting the US could be done with the war within two to three weeks.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed George’s departure Thursday, writing on X: “General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation.”

Senior Army leadership was caught off guard by Thursday’s abrupt announcement, the US official told CNN.

In his role as chief, George provided advice and guidance to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine and Hegseth.

In another development, US President Donald Trump dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post and appointed her deputy, Todd Blanche, to oversee the department in an acting capacity.

In a social media post, Trump praised the dismissed official, describing her as a "great American patriot and a loyal friend" while commending her efforts in combating crime.