Pentagon chief summons US military leaders for mystery 'urgent meeting' as WW3 fears ignite

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned hundreds of US military leaders to an unexplained meeting.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell has since confirmed this, adding that Hegseth 'will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week'.

At present, the reasons for the meeting, which has been scheduled for next Tuesday (30 September) in Quantico, Virginia, are unclear.

The meeting will see Hegseth, whose role was recently rebranded by President Donald Trump as the Secretary of War, addressing the senior officers.

The meeting has been set for hundreds of generals and admirals in the US military, many of whom have schedules which are set weeks in advance. A military official spoke to the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, and said: “People are scrambling to change their plans and see if they have to attend.”

Pete Hegseth has ordered an urgent meeting for next Tuesday (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Each of the generals and admirals summoned has command over significant military forces, making this a high-level meeting, which has also sparked security concerns.

A congressional aide told CNN that unless Hegseth planned to announce 'a major new military campaign or a complete overhaul of the military command structure, I can’t imagine a good reason for this'.

Meanwhile, another told The Washington Post: "People are very concerned. They have no idea what it means," while someone else shared their frustration at overseas commanders having to attend, as they said that this is 'not how this is done'.

News of the meeting and the lack of a specific explanation have already sparked speculation as to what it could concern, including the possibility that the US is planning to go to war.

It also comes amidst the Trump administration's firing of many high-profile general and flag officers since January, with an official telling CNN: "It’s being referred to as the general Squid Games."

However, Trump has expressed his approval of the meeting, telling reporters at a signing in the Oval Office: "I love it. I think it’s great. Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world."

Trump has expressed approval for the meeting (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

While the Pentagon hasn't responded to questions about the meeting's purpose, Trump said that it would be partially tied to their military equipment, as he continued: "We have the greatest equipment in the world. A lot of generals want to be here. They’re also going to be touring equipment sites.

"They’re going to be talking about the newest weapons."

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance, who was appearing with the President, said that the meeting is 'not particularly unusual'.

He added: “I think it’s odd that you guys have made it into such a big story."

The Washington Post, which first reported on the meeting, spoke with several officials, none of whom stated that they could not recall a meeting of this scale involving senior officers.