Why the U.S. Defense Intelligence Chief Was Fired — And What It Reveals About Trump’s Iran Strike Narrative
The head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, has been removed from his post, officials confirmed on Friday, August 22, in what marks the latest in a wave of high-level military oustings under President Donald Trump’s second term.
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Kruse's removal follows the DIA’s preliminary assessment that recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran set back Tehran’s nuclear program by only a few months -- directly contradicting President Trump’s public claims that the strikes had “obliterated” Iranian nuclear capabilities.
The president had called the June operation -- which involved over 125 U.S. aircraft and a guided missile submarine -- a “spectacular military success.”
A senior defense official confirmed Kruse “will no longer serve as DIA director” but declined to give a reason.
The Pentagon has not officially commented on the connection between the Iran strike assessment and the personnel changes.
Before his role as DIA director, Kruse had served as the advisor for military affairs to the Director of National Intelligence and previously held senior positions in counterterrorism and intelligence operations, including as Director of Intelligence for the coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
The DIA’s classified report, widely cited in the U.S. press, raised internal tensions by undermining the administration's narrative. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused unnamed individuals of leaking the assessment “to muddy the waters,” and criticized what he called “fawning coverage” of an incomplete report.
The administration has since launched an aggressive pushback campaign against the media.
Since beginning his second term in January, President Trump has removed or replaced a broad swath of top military leaders. These include the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles “CQ” Brown, who was dismissed in February without formal explanation.
Others ousted this year include the chiefs of the Navy and Coast Guard, the general who led the National Security Agency, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and multiple senior legal officials within the military.
In addition, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force recently announced early retirement after just two years in the role.
While Defense Secretary Hegseth has maintained that the changes reflect the president’s right to shape his leadership team, critics in Congress have warned of increasing politicization of the armed forces.
Earlier this year, the Pentagon also announced a structural shake-up: a 20% reduction in the number of active-duty four-star officers and a 10% overall cut in general and flag officer positions.