2:41Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Kruse testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on “Worldwide Threats,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 25, 2025.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse "is no longer serving" as the leader of the Defense Intelligence Agency, a senior defense source informed reporters on Friday.
The Pentagon refrained from commenting on whether Kruse was dismissed and the rationale behind any such action.
A DIA representative verified that Kruse has relinquished his position as DIA director and that Deputy Director Christine Bordine is now fulfilling the duties of acting director.
Kruse had recently supervised DIA's initial evaluation of a U.S. operation that indicated Iran's nuclear facilities sustained significant damage, though were not completely destroyed.
The evaluation drew sharp rebuttals from President Donald Trump following its publication by CNN, with the president consistently asserting the Iranian sites were "obliterated."
Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Kruse testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on “Worldwide Threats,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 25, 2025.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
In a declaration, Sen. Mark Warner, the leading Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, characterized it as "unsurprising" that Kruse would depart after contesting the president's account of the bombing.
"The removal of another prominent national security official highlights the Trump administration's worrisome tendency to view intelligence as a test of allegiance rather than a protection for our nation," Warner stated.
Warner conveyed that DIA's "candid, evidence-based analysis is precisely what we should anticipate from our intelligence agencies, irrespective of whether it aligns with the White House perspective."
Two Navy admirals were also relieved of their duties on Friday, two U.S. sources verified.
They are Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, the commander of Navy Reserves, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, the leader of the U.S. Navy's Naval Special Warfare. Lacore was responsible for all U.S. Naval Reserve personnel and Sands oversaw all of the Navy’s special operations units, including the Navy SEALs.
One source indicated that no explanations were provided regarding the removal of either officer from their respective positions.
Numerous prominent Air Force officers have been removed from their posts in recent months, including Gen. Timothy Haugh, head of the National Security Agency; Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin also recently resigned.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
