ALWAGHT- According to reports, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has removed a general after his agency’s assessment that June strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities caused only limited damage angered President Donald Trump.
Jeffrey Kruse, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency since early 2024, was fired on Friday along with Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore and Rear Admiral Milton Sands, according to US officials. The reasons for their dismissals remain unclear, though Kruse’s agency had recently contradicted President Trump’s claims that June strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities caused devastating damage, reporting instead that the impact was limited.
The removals come amid a broader purge of top military and intelligence officials since Trump began his second term in January. High-profile firings have included Joint Chiefs Chairman General Charles “CQ” Brown, the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the NSA chief, and other senior officers. Lawmakers such as Senator Mark Warner and Representative Jim Himes criticized the dismissals as politically motivated and dangerous, warning that intelligence is being treated as a loyalty test.
The shake-up coincides with sweeping cuts and restructuring. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has ordered reductions in senior officer ranks, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently revoked dozens of security clearances and announced a 40 percent personnel cut to save $700 million annually. Despite the scale of these moves, the Pentagon has offered no public explanation for the dismissals.
