Just across the wires now. Fox:

WASHINGTON — Admiral William Fallon, the head of U.S. Central Command, which leads U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is stepping down, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Tuesday.

Gates said Fallon said misperceptions about differences between his ideas and U.S. policy are making it too difficult for him to operate. Gates said their differences are not extreme, but the misperception has become too great.

I don’t know whether he was misinterpreted or whether people attributed views to him that were not his views, but clearly there was a concern,” Gates said.

Reportedly, Fallon wasn’t a fan of General David Petraeus, under whom the situation in Iraq was turned around.

Expect much speculation as to whether his resignation has anything to do with this Esquire article. Fallon opposed war with Iran, was apparently the “good cop” with them, and implied he’d resign before he’d go to war with the rogue Islamic regime.

Update: Via Hot Air, comes this reminder from the NY Times.

Both Mr. Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, have maintained an unwavering public line that disagreements with Iran should be resolved diplomatically, and that any military option remained only the last resort.

“I think that the secretary has made clear and I think Admiral Fallon has made clear that the first priority of this administration is to deal with our problems with Iran in a diplomatic fashion,” Mr. Morrell said Monday. “That is our first hope. That is our first effort. However, we have all made clear, time and time again, that nothing, no avenue is off the table.”

Gates and Mullen are still there, and both are pretty dovish on Iran. That adds to my apprehension to accept the theory of imminent war.

Update: Sources for BlackFive say this had nothing to do with a pending war in Iran, but rather “internal issues”. His stepping-down has been considered for a while now.

Meanwhile, NBC says it had nothing to do with Iran, but rather the Esquire article. Apparently it was a show of insubordination.