The US reportedly used Anthropic's AI for its attack on Iran, just after banning it
Key Points
- President Trump ordered an immediate halt to all federal use of Anthropic's AI on Truth Social.
- A major U.S. air strike on Iran reportedly employed Anthropic's AI tools hours after the ban.
- The president announced a six‑month phase‑out period for agencies still using Anthropic products.
- Anthropic's Claude was previously used in the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
- The Department of Defense is negotiating new AI contracts with xAI and OpenAI.
- Replacing Claude with other AI models is expected to take several months.
President Trump posted on Truth Social ordering all federal agencies to "immediately cease all use of Anthropic's technology" after a disagreement with the Department of Defense. Hours later, the United States carried out a major air strike on Iran with the assistance of Anthropic's AI tools, according to the Wall Street Journal. The president announced a six‑month phase‑out for agencies still using the technology, noting that the Department of Defense may shift to other AI providers such as xAI and OpenAI. This follows earlier reports that Anthropic's Claude was used in the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
Background
In a lengthy post on Truth Social on February 27, President Trump directed all federal agencies to "immediately cease all use of Anthropic's technology" after a strong disagreement between the Department of Defense and the AI company. He also indicated a six‑month phase‑out period for agencies still employing Anthropic products, including the Department of War. Despite the order, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States conducted a major air attack on Iran a few hours later with the help of Anthropic's AI tools.
The report noted that this is not the first instance of the U.S. leveraging Anthropic’s AI for a significant military operation. Previously, the Wall Street Journal documented the use of Claude in the capture of the now‑removed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
Implications and Future Directions
Looking ahead, the Department of Defense is expected to transition toward other artificial‑intelligence options. Recent deals with both xAI and OpenAI aim to integrate their models within the federal agency’s network. However, the Wall Street Journal cautioned that replacing Anthropic’s Claude with alternative AI models could take several months.
The juxtaposition of a presidential ban on Anthropic technology and its reported use in a high‑stakes military strike raises questions about coordination within the U.S. government and the speed at which AI tools can be adopted or phased out in critical operations.