The U.S. military has been using Anthropic’s Claude AI during operations against Iran, according to people familiar with the matter, despite a government-wide ban ordered by President Trump that gives agencies six months to phase out the technology. The deployment follows a clash between the Pentagon, which sought latitude to use Claude for “all lawful purposes,” and Anthropic, which pushed guardrails barring mass surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled the company a supply chain risk, while the Pentagon’s tech chief said Claude currently helps synthesize documents and streamline logistics. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the company drew “red lines” to uphold American values. The Wall Street Journal first reported the tool’s use; replacing Claude across the Defense Department could take at least three months, Defense One reported.
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