WASHINGTON – The governance of United States President DONALD TRUMP has removed the head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Lieutenant General JEFFREY KRUSE, and two other senior officers, marking the latest in a series of military dismissals this year.

Lieutenant General KRUSE’s dismissal, who had led the DIA since early 2024, followed the agency’s initial assessment that the recent US attack on Iran had only a limited impact, slowing down Tehran’s nuclear program by a few months.

This assessment, widely reported by US media outlets, contradicted president DONALD TRUMP’s claims that the US attack had fully destroyed Iranian nuclear sites, sparking anger from TRUMP and his administration officials.

“KRUSE will no longer serve as director of him,” a senior defense official, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP and Al Arabiya on Saturday (8/23/2025), without providing further details.

Prior to leading the DIA, KRUSE served as a military affairs advisor to the Director of National Intelligence and held various positions, including intelligence director for the coalition against the ISIS extremist group.

Separately, another anonymous US official stated that Admiral NANCY LACORE of the Navy Reserves and Rear Admiral MILTON SANDS, Commander of the Navy Special War Command, also departed from their positions.

In June, the United States launched a large-scale operation against three Iranian nuclear locations, involving over 125 US military aircraft and a control submarine.

TRUMP hailed the attack as a “spectacular military success” and repeatedly asserted that it had “eliminated” the nuclear sites. However, the DIA’s initial assessment cast doubt on these claims.

The TRUMP administration responded by criticizing US media outlets, insisting on the operation’s complete success and condemning journalists for reporting the DIA’s assessment.

As the beginning of his second term in January, TRUMP has overseen the removal of several high-ranking military officers, including the chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CHARLES “CQ” BROWN, who was dismissed without clarification in February.

Other senior officers dismissed this year include the Head of the Navy and Coastal, Generals who led the National Security Agency, Deputy Air Force Chief of staff, a Navy Admiral assigned to NATO, and three prominent military lawyers.

The Air Force Chief of Staff also recently announced his resignation, two years before the end of his four-year term, without providing an explanation.

Earlier this year, the Head of the Pentagon ordered a reduction of at least 20 percent in the number of generals and four-star admirals active in the US military, as well as a 10 percent reduction in the total number of generals and high-ranking officers.

“KRUSE will no longer serve as director of him,”

Understanding the defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)