The United States(US) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), amid reports that the agency’s preliminary assessment of US air strikes against Iranian nuclear sites in June had inflicted limited damage.
The firing comes as part of a broader purge of top military officers by the Trump administration.
According to US officials, the decision to fire Kruse was made without explanation, but it is believed to be linked to the DIA’s initial findings on the US strikes against Iran.
The assessment reportedly contradicted claims by President Trump that the strikes had totally destroyed the nuclear sites.
Kruse’s firing has sparked concerns about the politicization of the US military and the potential consequences for national security.
“The firing of yet another senior national security official underscores the Trump administration’s dangerous habit of treating intelligence as a loyalty test rather than a safeguard for our country,” said US Senator Mark Warner, who is the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
The firing of Kruse, along with two other senior military commanders, Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore and Rear Admiral Milton Sands, has raised questions about the Trump administration’s approach to governance and its relationship with the military.
The Trump administration has been criticized for its handling of the military, with Democratic lawmakers raising concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.
Earlier this year, Hegseth ordered a 20 percent reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US military, as well as a 10 percent cut in the overall number of general and flag officers.
Kruse’s firing is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the US military, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles “CQ” Brown, whom Trump fired without explanation in February.
Other senior officers dismissed this year include the heads of the US Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the US Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.
The Pentagon’s actions have sparked concerns about the stability and effectiveness of the US military, with many questioning the motivations behind the Trump administration’s decisions.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen what the consequences will be for the US military and national security.