Former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent has claimed that the US intelligence community agreed before the Iran war that Tehran was not actively developing a nuclear weapon.In a post on X on Thursday, Kent said American intelligence agencies, including the CIA, had claimed before the conflict began that Iran was not building a nuclear bomb and would retaliate if attacked by Israel or US.“One of the many tragedies of this war is that before the war began the US Intel Community, including CIA, was in agreement that Iran wasn’t developing a nuclear weapon & that Iran would target US bases in the region & shut down the Strait of Hormuz if they were attacked by Israel & the US,” Kent wrote.Kent also argued that intelligence officials had warned that any attempt to target Iran’s leadership would strengthen, enrage some elements inside the country.“The IC also properly assessed that targeting the Iranian leadership would strengthen the regime and embolden the hardliners. Despite the professionalism & accuracy of the IC, the narrative & agenda spun by a foreign government- Israel, won the argument & forced us into this war,” he said.“We need to understand exactly how this happened to ensure we are never put in this position again,” he added.Kent resigned from his role at the National Counterterrorism Center in March over disagreements about the conflict. In his resignation letter, he criticised US decision to enter the war and repeated his view that Iran did not pose an immediate danger to US. His idea faced backlash from Trump and his Republican supporters.At that time Kent said: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. 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.”The White House rejected Kent’s comments. In a statement to Fox News, spokesman Davis Ingle accused the former counterterror official of spreading false claims about both Iran and Israel’s role in the conflict.“Joe Kent’s self-aggrandizing resignation letter and recent comments are riddled with lies. Most egregious are Kent’s false claims that the largest state sponsor of terrorism somehow did not pose a threat to the United States and that Israel forced the President into launching Operation Epic Fury,” Ingle said.“As Commander-in-Chief, President Trump took decisive action based on strong evidence which showed that the terrorist Iranian regime posed an imminent threat and was preparing to strike Americans first. President Trump’s number one priority has always been ensuring the safety and security of the American people,” he added.US President Donald Trump has also denied suggestions that Israel persuaded him to join the war. In an April post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision was based on his long-standing position on Iran and the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, did,” Trump wrote.
