The head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse has been removed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The latest military firing follows the agency’s initial intelligence assessment of US bombings on Iran on 22 June set back Tehran’s nuclear programme by just a few months which “angered” US President Donald Trump.
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse has been removed from his position as director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, according to AP’s sources with knowledge of the matter. These individuals requested anonymity, citing a lack of authorisation to speak publicly.
Kruse’s dismissal comes just two months after a preliminary evaluation of US airstrikes on Iran was leaked to the press. The assessment concluded that the strikes had delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, undermining public claims made by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hegseth lashed out at the press for emphasising on the preliminary assessment; however, did not provide any direct evidence of the damage of the facilities.
“You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated — choose your word. This was a historically successful attack,” Hegseth stated during a news conference at the time.
Two others also fired
In related developments, Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, the top officer of the Navy Reserve, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, who leads Naval Special Warfare Command and is a Navy SEAL, were also relieved of duty, according to another US official.
No official explanation was offered for the dismissals. However, the moves reflect an ongoing effort to sideline senior military and intelligence figures perceived as unsupportive of Trump. The administration also took further action this week by revoking security clearances from multiple current and former national security officials.
The administration has removed Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. from his role as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with the Navy’s highest-ranking officer, the Air Force’s second-in-command, and the chief legal counsels of three military branches.
Back in April, Hegseth also ousted Gen. Tim Haugh, who led the National Security Agency, as well as Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, a senior NATO official.