Former Counterterrorism Chief Discusses Iran’s Threat Level
On a recent segment with Tucker Carlson, Joe Kent, previously the director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), shared his perspective on why he doesn’t see Iran as an immediate threat to the U.S.
His comments came after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence made a statement saying that supporting a war against Iran wasn’t justifiable. Kent indicated that this sentiment reflects how Israeli influence affected the decision-making during the Trump administration when it came to striking Iran, arguing there wasn’t an imminent threat at that time.
“I think this is significant. If key officials like the secretary of state and the president hadn’t mentioned that we launched this attack because of Israel’s plans, it would have been much harder to justify the action,” he said, emphasizing that the idea of an immediate threat from Iran was unfounded—it simply didn’t exist.
In early March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the administration was aware of Israel’s plans to attack Iran, which could lead to repercussions against U.S. forces. He warned that such actions would likely increase American casualties.
Kent further argued that U.S. policies show a substantial Israeli influence over foreign affairs in the Middle East. “The Israelis backed the decision to take action, but we understood that this would trigger retaliation from Iran,” he explained. He suggested we could have handled the situation differently, possibly by telling Israel, “No, you won’t proceed with that. If you do, there will be consequences.” He expressed support for providing defense to Israel but felt that it should come with conditions regarding their offensive actions.
Continuing, he noted that the confidence of Israel seemed to grow, with the belief that they could act without considering the repercussions for U.S. interests.
On February 28, the U.S. and Israel conducted Operation Epic Fury, resulting in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, among other leaders. President Trump’s justification for the airstrike did not mention an immediate threat. Instead, it referred to the operation as a means to “neutralize Iran’s malign activities” and protect U.S. national interests.
During a press briefing on March 4, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stated that the attack aimed to disrupt Iran’s missile programs and nuclear capabilities.
Previously, lawmakers had indicated in February that Israel would take military actions regarding Iran, independent of U.S. support, due to the perceived existential threat posed by Iran.
On Tuesday, Kent reiterated his stance that Iran is not an “imminent threat,” adding that his resignation was a positive development because he does not view Iran as a significant danger.
