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Pentagon fires intelligence agency chief after Iran attack assessment

August 23, 2025

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed Lieutenant General Jeffery Kruse from his position as head of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), along with two other senior military commanders. While the Pentagon provided no immediate explanation for the firings, they follow a White House rebuke of a DIA assessment that claimed US strikes on Iran had set back its nuclear program by only months, contradicting President Trump's assertion of complete destruction. Senator Mark Warner criticized Kruse's removal as part of a pattern where Trump treats intelligence as a "loyalty test," noting that this follows several other dismissals of officials whose analyses diverged from the president's views, including the Commissioner of Labor Statistics and the NSA director.

Who is affected

  • Lieutenant General Jeffery Kruse (former head of US Defence Intelligence Agency)
  • Chief of US Naval reserves (unnamed)
  • Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command (unnamed)
  • The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) as an organization
  • Military intelligence operations and personnel
  • Officials whose analyses have contradicted President Trump's views

What action is being taken

  • US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is firing multiple senior military officials
  • The White House is publicly rebuking intelligence assessments that contradict President Trump's statements
  • Senator Mark Warner is warning about the treatment of intelligence as a "loyalty test"
  • The FBI is investigating the leak of the DIA report on Iran strikes
  • President Trump is removing officials whose analyses are at odds with his positions

Why it matters

  • The removals potentially undermine independent intelligence assessment in favor of politically aligned analysis
  • The firings affect key military and intelligence leadership positions crucial for national security
  • The pattern suggests a prioritization of loyalty over independent analysis in intelligence agencies
  • These actions impact the credibility and independence of intelligence agencies like the DIA
  • The dismissals follow similar removals across government, indicating a broader approach to administration officials who present contradictory information

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC