Trump Dismisses U.S. Defense Intelligence Chief

August 23, 2025 | 09:06 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, was suddenly fired by Donald Trump's administration. Kruse became the latest senior military officer to lose his position under Trump's leadership.

Kruse's dismissal came after the Defense Intelligence Agency assessed the damage caused by the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear program, which contradicted Trump's claims. Earlier, Trump claimed that the U.S. attack had destroyed Iran's nuclear sites.

According to two people familiar with Kruse's dismissal, Defense Minister Pete Hegseth fired the general after his agency's initial intelligence assessment of the damage caused by the U.S. at the nuclear sites in Iran. This report angered President Donald Trump.

Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse will no longer serve as the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), according to a report by the Associated Press cited by Al Jazeera. Several anonymous sources leaked Kruse's dismissal.

A separate U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that two other senior officers, Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore, head of the Navy Reserve, and Rear Admiral Milton Sands, commander of the Navy Special Warfare Command, also left their positions.

Kruse's removal, who has led the DIA since early 2024, occurred after the agency reported that the U.S. attack on Iran had hindered Tehran's nuclear program by only a few months. This assessment contradicted Trump's claim that the attack had destroyed all the nuclear sites, triggering his anger and that of other officials in his administration.

Before becoming DIA director, Kruse served as a military affairs advisor to the National Intelligence Director. He also held positions, including intelligence director for the coalition against the ISIS jihadist group.

In June, the United States launched a massive operation against three Iranian nuclear sites. The U.S. deployed over 125 U.S. aircraft and ballistic missile submarines.

Trump called the attack a "spectacular military success." He repeatedly stated that the attack had destroyed nuclear sites. Trump's claim differed from the initial Pentagon assessment.

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