U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), along with two other senior commanders, marking the latest shake-up in the Pentagon under President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to U.S. officials, the sudden removals also included the chief of U.S. Naval Reserves and the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command. The Pentagon has not provided an official explanation for the move, but it follows weeks of tension over leaks of classified intelligence.
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Reports suggest Kruse’s removal came after a DIA assessment contradicted Trump’s claims that recent U.S. airstrikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. The leaked report indicated that the strikes had only set Tehran’s program back by a few months, angering the White House, which dismissed the assessment as “flat out wrong.”
Critics say the decision raises serious concerns about the politicization of U.S. intelligence. Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned that the administration was using “loyalty tests” instead of prioritizing national security.
This is part of a wider trend of purges within the defense and intelligence community during Trump’s second term. Earlier this year, Hegseth removed Air Force General C.Q. Brown, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with several other senior officers. Trump also fired NSA director General Timothy Haugh in April, while dozens of intelligence officials have had their security clearances revoked under orders from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
The latest firings deepen instability within the Pentagon, especially after the U.S. Air Force chief announced his early retirement earlier this week. Observers believe the ongoing reshuffle is reshaping America’s defense leadership in ways that could impact both military strategy and global security.
