FBI Director Fires Dozen Counterintelligence Staff Just Before Major Iran Operation
Just days before the United States launched a major military operation against Iran, FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly fired about a dozen agents and staffers from a counterintelligence unit that tracks Iranian threats, CNN sources say. The dismissals came amid growing internal concern about the bureau’s ability to monitor threats linked to Iran after U.S. and Israeli strikes that have reshaped Middle East tensions.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the agents were removed largely because they had previously been involved in investigations connected to President Trump’s retention of classified documents. Those layoffs hit a specialized FBI unit known as CI-12, which has handled both foreign espionage and national security risks.
The firings occurred just before Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated offensive in Iran that included hundreds of targeted strikes. The timing has raised questions among former FBI officials about potential impacts on U.S. counterintelligence readiness at a critical moment. No official FBI statement has detailed reasons for the personnel changes.
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