Defence Secretary Hegseth fires DIA chief after Iran nuclear strike assessment

U.S. Air Force Lt. General and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Jeffrey Kruse (File Photo)
| Photo Credit:
LEAH MILLIS/Reuters

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired a general whose agency’s initial intelligence assessment of damage to Iran nuclear sites from US strikes angered President Donald Trump, according to two people familiar with the decision.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse would no longer serve as head of the US Defence Intelligence Agency, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss it publicly.

Published on August 23, 2025