In the midst of heightened tensions with Iran, US President Donald Trump has nominated Mark Esper as US Secretary of Defense. That’s what the White House in Washington said last night. Esper, until now head of administration of the US Army, succeeds Patrick Shanahan, who only temporarily held the ministerial office. The change was announced on Tuesday by Trump.
It is about the second change at the top of the Pentagon in about half a year. Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned in December in protest at the withdrawal of troops from Syria announced by Trump and the reduction of troops in Afghanistan. After that, his deputy Shanahan provisionally took over the ministry.
His departure justified Trump on Tuesday with the fact that Shanahan „more time to dedicate his family.“ At the beginning of May, the US president had announced that he wanted to nominate Shanahan for the permanent takeover of the ministerial post. But the necessary approval procedure in the Senate had not started since then. The appointment of Esper to the Pentagon chief must still be approved by the US Senate.
