Pentagon Dismisses DIA Chief After Intel Assessment of Iran Strikes Sparks Backlash

In a significant shakeup at the upper echelons of U.S. intelligence leadership, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has relieved Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse of his position as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Kruse’s ouster comes in the wake of a preliminary DIA assessment leaked to the media that starkly contradicted President Donald Trump's public assertions regarding the effectiveness of the June 2025 airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
According to the agency’s initial analysis, the U.S. attacks set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, rather than obliterating it outright. The report, deemed "low confidence" and rapidly disseminated, triggered fierce criticism from the White House and the president himself, who demanded accountability and characterized the intelligence as misleading and fundamentally flawed.
Secretary Hegseth cited a general “loss of confidence” in Kruse’s leadership as the justification for his removal. No further reasons were publicly disclosed. Christine Bordine, the DIA’s deputy director, has been appointed as the Acting Director in Kruse’s stead.
Kruse’s dismissal is part of a broader trend under the current administration of replacing senior military and intelligence officials, particularly those whose assessments clash with political narratives. The move drew swift rebuke from lawmakers: Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned that politicizing intelligence undermines national security and weakens the integrity of U.S. defense operations.
This reshuffling follows earlier high-level departures, including the firing of NSA Director Timothy Haugh and other senior officers, and extends to structural changes and clearance revocations across the intelligence community.

Sources: Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post