WASHINGTON (March 5, 2026) – Two unnamed sources confirmed that the U.S. military is using Anthropic’s Claude AI model as a tool against Iran. Claude, regarded as one of the most advanced artificial intelligence systems, recently helped the U.S. military strike 1000 targets in the first 24 hours of battle. Despite a recent government-wide ban on Anthropic from federal agencies, the Pentagon has not clarified exactly how the AI system is being used.
Last July, Anthropic was awarded a $200 million contract from the Pentagon to develop capabilities that would advance national security. Claude was also used in the raid that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, but this is the first time it’s been used in major war operations.
For more analysis on these developments, please consider Susan Ariel Aaronson, a research professor of international affairs, and the director of the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub and co-PI at the NSF Trustworthy AI Institute, TRAILS. Her research focuses on AI governance, data governance, competitiveness in data-driven services such as XR, and AI and digital trade. Aaronson currently directs projects on governing data for generative AI, ensuring that data is globally accurate, complete, and representative and on AI protectionism.
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