Ex-Official Joe Kent Raises Concerns Over War, Says Iran Was Not A Nuclear Threat
Joe Kent disputes Iran nuclear threat claims, blames Israel, and questions rationale behind US military escalation.
A day after his resignation sparked widespread attention, former U.S. counterterrorism chief Joe Kent publicly criticized the rationale behind recent U.S. actions against Iran, claiming the country was “nowhere close” to developing a nuclear weapon. Kent, who served under President Donald Trump, said his decision to step down was in protest of escalating tensions that he described as unnecessary and misinformed.
In his first interview following his exit, conducted with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Kent alleged that Israel played a decisive role in pushing the United States toward confrontation. He specifically pointed to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming it acted with the expectation that Washington would be compelled to support any resulting conflict. According to Kent, such actions set off a predictable chain of retaliation from Iran.
The former official also challenged claims made by Trump and other administration figures that Iran’s nuclear programme posed an imminent threat. The U.S. had justified its February 28 strikes on Iranian targets by asserting Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, with Trump stating the timeline could be as short as two weeks. Kent dismissed these assertions, saying intelligence assessments did not support the claim either at the time of the strikes or during earlier operations, including the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities in mid-2025.
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Kent further argued that Iran’s long-standing religious decree against nuclear weapons undermines the narrative of an active weapons programme. He referenced a fatwa issued by Iran’s leadership in 2004 that prohibits the development of nuclear arms, stating there was no credible intelligence to suggest it had been violated. He described Iran’s approach as “pragmatic,” indicating that the country had strategic reasons to avoid pursuing such weapons despite international suspicion.
On broader regional developments, Kent said the reported assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ultimately strengthened hardline factions within the country rather than weakening the regime. He argued that Khamenei’s death was unlikely to destabilize Iran’s leadership structure, suggesting instead that it galvanized support among loyalists and reinforced the existing power system.
The White House has strongly rejected Kent’s claims, particularly suggestions that U.S. policy may have been influenced by foreign governments. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump acts solely in the national interest, dismissing contrary allegations as “falsehoods.” She emphasized that the president’s decisions are made independently, underscoring the administration’s stance amid growing debate over the motivations and consequences of its Iran policy.
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