A former senior counterterrorism official who resigned over the Iran war says he and other national security officials with concerns about U.S. strikes on Iran were not allowed to express those concerns to President Donald Trump.
Strikes hit world's largest natural gas field in Iran , and Tehran retaliates with more attacksJudge throws prosecutor out of court and orders leaders of NJ’s US Attorney’s office to testifyTrump’s tariffs are hurting American manufacturers instead of helping themNASCAR suspends Daniel Dye after livestream mockery of IndyCar's David MalukasAbout 90 ships cross the Strait of Hormuz as Iran exports millions of barrels of oil despite the warViral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying themselves as animalsRaccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floorA photo captures black spots on clothespins that reveal the environmental toll of conflict in TehranThe World in PicturesTrump administration widens Medicaid fraud crackdown to Florida, calling it a 'hotspot'Stair climbers love their exercise, even when security guards act like they're up to somethingColorectal cancer is rising in younger adults.
Here's who is most at risk and symptoms to watch forTwitter shareholder case accusing Musk of driving down stock goes to juryVatican appeals court declares mistrial in the 'trial of the century' against a cardinalUnos 90 barcos cruzan el estrecho de Ormuz e Irán exporta petróleo en plena guerraLIVE Here's who is most at risk and symptoms to watch forTwitter shareholder case accusing Musk of driving down stock goes to juryVatican appeals court declares mistrial in the 'trial of the century' against a cardinalUnos 90 barcos cruzan el estrecho de Ormuz e Irán exporta petróleo en plena guerraPoliticsJoseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. Joe Kent, Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during a congressional debate at KATU studios Oct. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. From left, Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Michael Glasheen, operations director of the National Security Branch of the FBI, raise their arms before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appear before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. Joe Kent, Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during a congressional debate at KATU studios Oct. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. Joe Kent, Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during a congressional debate at KATU studios Oct. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. From left, Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Michael Glasheen, operations director of the National Security Branch of the FBI, raise their arms before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. From left, Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Michael Glasheen, operations director of the National Security Branch of the FBI, raise their arms before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appear before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appear before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. over concerns about the Iran war, said Wednesday that he and other senior officials with doubts about the airstrikes “were not allowed” to share them with President Donald Trump. Speaking on Tucker Carlson’s show, Kent said the president relied on a small circle of advisers in making his decision to strike Iran. Kent claimed Israel forced Trump’s hand despite what he said was no evidence that Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S.Kent’s comments offer an inside glimpse into Trump’s decision to strike Iran on Feb. 28 and underscore the risk that the war could divide his political base. They also suggest there were concerns about the strikes within the administration. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent was in charge of an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats. His work was overseen by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who on Wednesday said that it was up to Trump — and Trump alone — to decide whether Iran posed a threat.Gabbard, a veteran and former congresswoman from Hawaii, has previously criticized talk of military strikes in Iran. She has not said what she thinks of the current strikes and a spokesperson has declined to respond to questions.Kent said no intelligence suggested that Iran was working to develop nuclear weapons, and that he believes Israel was able to force the U.S. to act by promising to act first, potentially putting U.S. interests in the region at risk. He said Israeli officials and U.S. media pundits helped make the argument that Iran was a threat.from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson suggesting that Israel’s plans prompted the U.S. to take action., said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials personally lobbied Trump, often with information that U.S. officials couldn’t confirm. “When we would hear what they were saying, it didn’t reflect intelligence channels,” Kent said. His claim that an “Israeli lobby” was behind Trump’s decision to launch the war has drawn criticism from Jewish groups and others who said it amounted to antisemitism. Kent chose to make his first public remarks since his resignation during an appearance with Carlson, who also has faced criticism for rhetoric seen as antisemitic. Trump has offered shifting reasons for the strikes and has pushed back on claims that Israel forced the U.S. to act. On Tuesday, he rejected Kent’s criticism of the war and said he always thought Kent was “weak on security” and if someone in his administration did not believe Iran was a threat, “we don’t want those people.”The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Kent’s comments on Carlson’s show. As a Green Beret, Kent saw combat in 11 deployments before retiring to join the CIA. He also endured tragedy: His wife, a Navy cryptologist, was killed by a suicide bomber in 2019 in Syria, leaving him with two young sons. Kent, 45, has since remarried. Kent told Carlson that he decided to resign after it became obvious that his concerns would be ignored. “I know this path that we’re on, it doesn’t work,” Kent said, saying he determined: “I can’t be a part of this in good conscience.”
Donald Trump Joe Kent Tucker Carlson General News Israel Government Iran Government Counterterrorism Diplomacy MIDEAST WARS Iran Benjamin Netanyahu Politics Washington News Marco Rubio Terrorism World News Mike Johnson National Security Washington News World News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Donald Trump Says Ex-US President Told Him He Wished He Had Bombed IranTrump says a former president wished he’d acted on Iran, but declines to name who — hinting, “I think you know.”
Read more »
Jon Stewart Schools Donald Trump on Bonkers Iran War DemandStewart mocked Trump’s response to Iran’s ongoing blockade.
Read more »
Former Presidents Deny Donald Trump’s Iran ClaimEvery living U.S. President has denied the claim that at least one of them approves of the Iran war.
Read more »
Top counterterrorism official Kent resigns over Trump's Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threatTop counterterrorism official Joe Kent has resigned over President Donald Trump’s Iran war, saying Iran posed “no imminent threat to our nation.”.
Read more »
Donald Trump Reacts to Joe Kent Resigning Over Iran WarDonald Trump slams ex-counterterror chief as “weak” after he quits over Iran war.
Read more »
Top counterterrorism official resigns over Trump’s Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threatJoe Kent said Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Read more »