Kash Patel fires 10 FBI agents amid escalating Iran war. Here's why

FBI Director Kash Patel has fired at least 10 agents and staff members who previously worked on investigations involving US President Donald Trump, including the probe into Trump’s alleged concealment of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after leaving office following his first term. The dismissals, carried out in late February, came as the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, with Tehran hitting back with retaliatory attacks on US bases and assets across the Middle East.

The firings have drawn scrutiny as several of the removed officials were part of an elite FBI counter-espionage unit that specialised in monitoring threats from Iran and its regional proxies.

In February, reports surfaced about Patel, a staunch ally of Trump, using an FBI jet to travel to the Winter Olympics in Milan, where he attended Team USA men’s ice hockey games. Videos circulating online showed him drinking beer and celebrating with players in the locker room, even though the bureau had described the trip as an official visit to review Olympic security arrangements.

According to NBC News, Trump was displeased with the footage and spoke directly with Patel about the incident. Within days of the controversy, Patel ordered the firing of agents linked to the Mar-a-Lago investigation.

The firings came shortly before the US and Israel launched large-scale military strikes against Iran over its accelerating nuclear programme on February 28. The move targeted agents with years of experience in counterintelligence and national security investigations.

AGENTS LINKED TO TRUMP PROBED

At least ten FBI agents and staff members who had worked on the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation were dismissed on February 25. Two more staff members were informed of their termination the following day.

The agents were part of a specialised unit responsible for investigating the mishandling of classified material while also tracking threats from adversaries in the Middle East. Their removal has raised concerns within the national security establishment about the loss of expertise at a time of heightened tensions with Iran.

Current and former officials told The Washington Post that the FBI and the Justice Department have already been grappling with a wave of departures and reassignments during Trump’s second term. The latest firings, they warned, could further thin the pool of experienced personnel responsible for monitoring domestic threats.

PATTERNS OF CONTROVERSIES

The latest dismissals have also revived scrutiny over Patel’s leadership, with critics pointing to a pattern in which firings followed negative media coverage about him.

In September 2025, he was accused in a lawsuit of illegally firing three senior FBI officials, including former acting director Brian Driscoll, allegedly for political reasons. Within a week of the controversy, Patel ordered the dismissal of ten FBI agents who had been photographed years earlier kneeling during protests over the killing of George Floyd, despite internal reviews finding they had violated no policy.

In October 2025, reports emerged that Patel used an FBI aircraft to attend an event at Penn State where his girlfriend, a country music performer, sang the national anthem. The following day, he fired Steven Palmer, a 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw the bureau’s jet fleet.

Further criticism surfaced in January 2026, when a New York Times report quoted current and former employees describing Patel as an “unserious leader” who had weakened morale within the bureau. A day after the report was published, Patel dismissed several agents from the FBI’s Miami field office.

Former FBI agent Rob D’Amico said the pattern had raised concerns within the law enforcement community.

“You know he has a trend — when he gets jammed up on something, he literally fires people right after,” D’Amico told American cable channel MS NOW.

FBI DEFENDS DECISION

An FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, said the dismissals followed internal investigations and were unrelated to external developments. “When individuals are found to have acted unethically or undermined the mission, this FBI fires them. Period,” Williamson said.

He added that the bureau continues to maintain a strong counter-intelligence operation across the country and remains capable of responding to national security threats.

Williamson also confirmed that three of the fired agents had expertise related to Iran but declined to provide further details about the alleged misconduct.

The firings come at a sensitive time as the US faces growing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict with Iran. Experts say domestic law enforcement typically increases surveillance and intelligence efforts during such conflicts to identify potential threats or retaliatory attacks.

Former officials warned that losing experienced agents could weaken the bureau’s ability to detect and disrupt threats. Counter-intelligence officers often rely on long-established networks of informants and sources, particularly within diaspora communities — relationships that can take years to build.

“When experienced agents leave, you don’t just lose a person — you lose years of trust and intelligence sources,” one former national security official told The Washington Post.

Despite the criticism, the FBI maintains that its national security operations remain fully functional and that it continues to respond to threats across the US.

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