“A significant number of key decision-makers were not allowed to come in and voice their opinions.”
Israel has "gone out of control" in its conflict with Iran, and is now effectively conducting a campaign on its own; U.S. President Donald Trump must address this. This opinion was expressed by Joe Kent, the recently resigned director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), in an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson.
Kent resigned after criticizing the U.S. and Israel's operation against Iran. "Iran did not pose an immediate threat to our country, and it is clear that we started this war under pressure from Israel and its influential American lobby," he wrote on X, attaching his resignation statement.
Correcting the behavior of the Israeli side is the "first thing Trump must do," Kent believes. "He needs to very decisively, probably with a new team of diplomats, reach out to the Israelis and say: You are done. We will protect you. We will make sure that you know that ballistic missiles will not be hitting you. However, you can no longer go on the offensive because this is our war," the former official stated.
Trump should also warn Israel that if it decides to continue offensive actions, the U.S. will "get out of the game," Kent continued.
"We need to tell them this. <…> If we don’t do this, if we don’t address our relationship with the Israelis, even if we agree to a temporary ceasefire, we will very soon find ourselves in the same situation again. Therefore, the first thing President Trump must do is address the main issue. The main issue is that the Israelis have gone out of control and are conducting this entire war. This needs to be dealt with decisively," he added.
According to the former NCTC head, it is Israel that has dragged the U.S. into the conflict in the Middle East and exerts significant influence over American policy in the region.
"So, the immediate threat that Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks of comes not from Iran, but from Israel?" Carlson asked.
"That’s right," Kent replied. "And I think this speaks to a broader issue: who is responsible for our policy in the Middle East?" he expressed.
Kent mentioned that before resigning, he spoke personally with Trump. "It went great. Although, of course, it wasn’t the best conversation. I explained to him why I was leaving. He listened to me," he said, emphasizing that he and the president "parted on good terms."
According to Kent, before the war with Iran began, "a significant number of key decision-makers were not allowed to come in and voice their opinions" to Trump.
"They discussed this <...> behind closed doors, and those who disagreed did not have the opportunity to speak out," the former official said.
The former NCTC head agreed with the opinion that the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei led to national unity around the authorities. According to him, Khamenei had restrained Iran's nuclear program and the country's development of nuclear weapons.
When asked if Tehran is close to obtaining them, Kent replied that it is not. According to him, Iran's strategy is to "not completely abandon its nuclear program."
Joe Kent is an 11-time combat veteran who served 20 years in the elite Green Berets unit. After leaving the military in 2018, he worked as a paramilitary operations officer at the CIA's Special Activities Center. In 2020, he was a foreign affairs advisor to Trump's campaign. The FBI is investigating him for potential disclosure of classified information, reported Semafor and the Associated Press.
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