Former Trump official says Tehran was nowhere close to developing nuclear weapon | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleBrendan RasciusThursday 19 March 2026 01:03 GMTBongino slams Joe Kent’s claim Iran posed ‘no imminent threat’ to USJoe Kent, a counterterrorism chief for President Donald Trump, resigned in protest over the ongoing war in Iran, stating it was manufactured by Israel and its American lobby.Kent claimed in an interview that Israel drove the decision to initiate the conflict and that Iran was not close to developing a nuclear weapon, citing a 2004 fatwa against it.He asserted that Iran posed no imminent threat to the U.S. and that the war serves no benefit to the American people, drawing parallels to the Iraq war.The administration dismissed Kent's resignation as inconsequential, with Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplaying his involvement in policy discussions.The war, which began on February 28, has resulted in significant casualties, economic disruption, and is opposed by a majority of Americans, according to recent polls.In fullTrump’s former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent blames Israel for war with Iran and claims Tehran was not on verge of having nukesThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in