Prior to the United States and Israel launching a war against Iran, U.S. intelligence agencies were in agreement that Tehran was not developing any nuclear weapons. Joe Kent, the former head of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, revealed this information.
Writing on the social media platform X last Thursday, Joe Kent stated, “One of the greatest tragedies of this war is that, prior to its commencement, U.S. intelligence agencies—including the CIA—were unanimous in their assessment that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons.”
Kent further noted that U.S. intelligence officials had anticipated that if the United States and Israel were to launch an attack, Iran would retaliate. They predicted that Iran would strike U.S. bases and block the Strait of Hormuz. This is precisely what transpired following the commencement of attacks on February 28.
Joe Kent remarked, “Intelligence agencies also accurately predicted that targeting Iran’s leadership would serve to strengthen the ruling regime and embolden hardliners. Despite the professionalism of our intelligence community and the availability of accurate information, a false narrative propagated by a foreign government—Israel—ultimately prevailed. It was this narrative that compelled the United States to become embroiled in this conflict.” He added, “To ensure that we never again find ourselves in such a predicament, we must gain a thorough understanding of exactly how this situation came to pass.”
On March 17, Joe Kent resigned from his position as head of the National Counterterrorism Center in protest against the decision to initiate a war with Iran. He leveled criticism against Israeli officials and certain members of the U.S. media, accusing them of misleading the U.S. administration. He drew parallels between the current situation and the U.S. decision to invade Iraq in the years following the horrific terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001.
White House Claims Kent Is Making False Assertions
Joe Kent shared a letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump on the social media platform X. In it, he wrote: “Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential figures within the American media waged a disinformation campaign that completely undermined your ‘America First’ platform and fostered a pro-war sentiment aimed at encouraging a conflict with Iran.”
Joe Kent further added: “Through the tactic of repetition—saying the same thing over and over again—you [Trump] were convinced that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States and that you should launch an immediate attack to secure a swift victory. This was a lie—and it was the very same tactic the Israelis used to drag us into that horrific war in Iraq, a conflict in which thousands of our finest men and women [soldiers] lost their lives.”
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Anadolu Agency that Kent’s recent remarks were riddled with outright falsehoods. He stated: “The most egregious lie is the claim that the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism [Iran] posed no threat to the United States! And that Israel somehow coerced President Trump into launching ‘Operation Epic Fury’!” He further noted that President Trump took decisive action based on compelling evidence; the Iranian government posed a grave threat to the United States and was actively preparing to launch attacks against Americans.
Tensions in the Middle East reached a boiling point after U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran on February 28. Iran responded by launching retaliatory strikes against Israel and U.S. allies, and by blockading the Strait of Hormuz—a critical maritime waterway.
A ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, went into effect on April 8. However, the talks held in Islamabad failed to yield a formal agreement. Subsequently, Trump extended the duration of the ceasefire indefinitely. On April 13, the United States began imposing a blockade on Iranian ports. The U.S. claims that this measure is inflicting daily losses of approximately $450 million on the Iranian economy.
