The Pentagon made the decisive move to terminate Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse from his role as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on Friday, in the wake of a classified intelligence report leak that revealed a less than favorable assessment of recent U.S. airstrikes in Iran. The DIA's preliminary report, which was unauthorizedly disclosed to the media, cast doubt on the long-term effectiveness of the military action against Iran's nuclear program.
Lt. Gen. Kruse had been at the helm of the DIA since February 2024, leading the agency responsible for coordinating military intelligence for the United States. His dismissal was confirmed by a senior Defense official to The Post, and Christine Bordine, previously the Deputy Director, has been appointed as the acting director, as stated on the agency's official website.
The controversial leak involved a "low confidence" analysis from the DIA, which evaluated the impact of the June 21 airstrikes on Iran's key nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. The document, which made its way to CNN mere days after the operation involving B-2 stealth bombers and cruise missiles, suggested that the strikes would only delay Iran's nuclear ambitions by a few months. The leaked assessment further indicated that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was largely unscathed.
President Trump vehemently condemned the leak on his Truth Social platform, labeling it as an attempt to undermine what he considered "ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY." He insisted that the nuclear sites had been "completely destroyed," a claim contradicted by the leaked DIA report. Special envoy Steve Witkoff echoed the president's outrage on Fox News' Ingraham Angle, denouncing the leak as "outrageous" and "treasonous," and called for an investigation to identify and prosecute the individual responsible.
The firing of Kruse is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of high-level turnover within the intelligence community under the Trump administration. Previous dismissals include former NSA Director Timothy Haugh and several National Security Council staffers earlier in the year.
The leaked report and Kruse's subsequent termination have drawn criticism from figures such as Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (D), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Warner decried the firing as a reflection of a "dangerous habit of treating intelligence as a loyalty test," emphasizing the importance of non-partisan, fact-based intelligence work. He also expressed concern that such actions could potentially embolden adversaries and compromise national security.
As the DIA transitions under the interim leadership of Christine Bordine, the intelligence community and observers are closely monitoring whether future assessments will maintain their integrity or be subjected to increased scrutiny to align with the administration's narratives.
