Former US Counterterror Chief Says Intelli Warned Against Iran War

(MENAFN) Joe Kent, former head of the US National Counterterrorism Center, has alleged that Washington entered the conflict involving Iran despite internal intelligence assessments suggesting Tehran was not actively developing nuclear weapons.

Kent, who resigned in March, argued that the escalation followed external political pressure rather than intelligence consensus. He claimed that US agencies, including the CIA, had assessed prior to the conflict that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon program.

He also stated that intelligence warnings had indicated possible retaliation scenarios if Iran were attacked, including strikes on US military installations in the Middle East and disruption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Kent, these assessments were overridden, leading to US involvement alongside Israel in military actions against Iran. He further argued that this decision reflected the influence of external narratives rather than domestic intelligence findings.

Kent, a former CIA officer, compared the situation to the 2003 Iraq War, suggesting that flawed or politically driven intelligence interpretations have historically contributed to US military interventions in the region.

The White House has previously rejected similar claims. US President Donald Trump has maintained that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons and has denied that US policy decisions were directed by foreign influence.

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