Pentagon fires Intelligence chief and two other high ranking officials

The Pentagon dismissed three high-ranking military officials on Friday (local time), including US Air Force Lt Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), the New York Times reported, citing a senior defence official and a US senator. The action comes weeks after the DIA released a preliminary report that contradicted former US President Donald Trump’s claim that June airstrikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Christine Bordine, the DIA’s Deputy Director, will serve as acting chief until a new appointment is confirmed by the Senate.

Kruse is the latest senior official to be removed under the second Trump administration, and the second high-ranking military intelligence leader to be ousted. The New York Times noted that Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, former head of the National Security Agency (NSA), was also dismissed earlier this year following criticism from a prominent right-wing figure.

Series of dismissals raises concerns

In addition to Kruse, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth also removed Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, chief of the Navy Reserve, and Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, who led the Naval Special Warfare Command, the New York Times reported. The Pentagon has not issued official explanations for their dismissals.

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Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed concern over Kruse’s removal. “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,” Warner told the New York Times.

Political reasons

The New York Times, citing officials, reported that some within the Trump administration have increasingly viewed Kruse, a Biden-era appointee, as politically out of step. The publication also noted a broader effort underway to replace top military leaders who were selected during the Biden administration.

Iran strike report contradicted White House narrative

Following the June US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, the DIA issued a preliminary assessment indicating that the strikes had only delayed Iran’s nuclear programme by a few months. This assessment, first reported by CNN and the New York Times, ran counter to the Trump administration’s portrayal of the operation as a major strategic success.

While the Pentagon has not publicly given a reason for Kruse’s removal, two congressional officials told the New York Times that lawmakers were informed it was due to a “loss of confidence”.

Warner linked the dismissal directly to the DIA’s findings. “That kind of honest, fact-based analysis is exactly what we should want from our intelligence agencies, regardless of whether it flatters the White House narrative... When expertise is cast aside and intelligence is distorted or silenced, our adversaries gain the upper hand and America is left less safe,” he said.

(With inputs from ANI)