Joe Kent, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center under President Donald Trump, resigned on Tuesday, citing pressure from Israel and its lobbying efforts in the U.S. as the primary reason for his decision. In a post on X, Kent stated that Iran posed "no imminent threat to our nation" and accused the U.S. government of initiating the conflict due to external influence. He emphasized that the war was driven by misinformation campaigns orchestrated by Israeli officials and American media, which he claimed undermined Trump's "America First" policies. Kent, a veteran with 11 deployments and a Gold Star husband who lost his wife in a war he described as "manufactured by Israel," expressed deep personal and national concerns. He argued that the current conflict would lead to unnecessary loss of American lives and warned against repeating the mistakes of past wars, such as the Iraq conflict. "This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat," he wrote, referencing Trump's earlier military actions, including the killing of Qasem Soleimani. The resignation followed months of escalating tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Kent criticized the administration for allowing "a coordinated misinformation campaign" to sway public opinion and justify military action. He called for a reevaluation of the war's purpose, stating, "I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for." His message also highlighted his belief that Trump had previously demonstrated a more strategic approach to foreign policy, contrasting it with the current administration's actions.#iran #israel #strait_of_hormuz #joe_kent #national_counterterrorism_center
