© Getty Images Joe Kent departed from his role due to a disagreement regarding the operation against Iran.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing former National Counterterrorism Center head Joe Kent for a potential unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, the New York Times conveyed , referencing sources. The investigation commenced prior to Kent publicly declaring his departure this week over his opposition to the U.S. engagement in the war against Iran, which incensed President Donald Trump.
The inquiry emerges after the Trump administration’s deliberate actions to undermine Kent as “untrustworthy and disloyal.” The FBI and the Department of Justice have frequently launched criminal inquiries into critics of the president and his political adversaries under Trump, often lacking sufficient substantiation for formal charges, the NYT highlighted.
“Iran presented no immediate danger to our nation,” Kent expressed in a public announcement of his resignation.
Kent asserted that the US initiated the operation “under coercion from Israel and its influential American lobbying.” Kent’s detractors have consistently accused him of advocating for an anti-Israeli perspective. However, his departure heightened divisions among Republicans concerning the war with Iran and the US relationship with Israel. Trump promptly criticized Kent following his resignation.
“It is fortunate that he resigned, given his assertion that Iran does not pose a threat,” Trump remarked.
During an interview with American conservative TV anchor Tucker Carlson, a known critic of Israel, Kent spoke highly of Trump and his prior strategies, notably past firm decisions concerning Iran, such as the elimination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and the US bombardment of Iranian atomic facilities the prior year.
Nevertheless, Kent also reiterated his claims that there existed no indication of an impending Iranian assault before the new war commenced, and that the US was drawn into the war under Israeli influence. He urged Trump to prohibit Israel from attacking Iran and to halt arms provisions if the country declined to comply.
Kent has a history of promoting conspiracy theories, implying without proof that FBI personnel might have been accountable for orchestrating the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. He has furthermore dismissed allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election as a fabrication. During a conversation with Carlson, Kent and the conservative TV presenter also disseminated unsupported assertions that Israel might have had a role in the 2024 attempted assassination of Trump and the demise of right-wing figure Charlie Kirk the previous year.
Kent is the initial senior Trump administration representative to step down over the Iran military action, vacating his position as the US president contends with the economic and geopolitical ramifications stemming from the conflict. The WSJ stated that certain Trump associates are discretely pressing him to discover a “pathway out” of the war with Iran amidst surging oil prices and apprehensions that a drawn-out dispute could yield unfavorable political consequences.