US Defense Secretary Fires Pentagon Intelligence Chief
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth dismissed Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, head of the Pentagon’s intelligence arm, due to the latter’s skeptical assessment of the aftermath of American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. This decision has been characterized by Hegseth as a “loss of trust,” a phrase he has previously employed in the removal of other top officials, reports 24brussels.
In June, the structure led by Kruse evaluated the consequences of the strikes on Iran, concluding that the attacks only temporarily hindered Tehran’s nuclear program by a few months. This assessment contradicted public statements from both Hegseth and President Donald Trump.
Kruse becomes the latest high-profile Pentagon official to be dismissed since the return of the Trump administration, with similar changes affecting other departments, including the State Department.
Prior to this, Hegseth had already removed the head of the US Air Force, General David Alvin, along with his deputy and the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles C. Brown. The dismissal of these military leaders has raised concerns within the Pentagon and among the US armed forces, where stability is viewed as a critical priority.
