Ex-Trump Official Claims Israel Drove US Towards Iran Conflict, Hints at Israeli Lobby’s Role in Kirk’s Assassination
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, in his first interview since resigning from the Trump administration, Joe Kent asserted that Iran posed no immediate threat to the United States and that the war was initiated under pressure from Israel. Kent made these statements in a conversation with Tucker Carlson, a prominent conservative and anti-Israel American host.
Kent also indirectly pointed to the role of the Israeli lobby in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a pro-Trump activist, a segment of his remarks that has been widely shared on social media. Clips circulating online feature Kent stating, “I don’t like Iran, they are not our friends, but the Israelis sabotaged this war and diverted us from America’s true goals and interests.”
He directly implicated Israel, saying, “The Israelis directed this decision. We knew this action would set off a chain of events because the Iranians would retaliate.” Kent added that the U.S. could have stopped Israel, stating, “We could have told the Israelis, ‘No, you are not doing this,’ and if you do, we will punish you.”
Regarding the claim of Iran’s ‘immediate nuclear threat,’ Kent unequivocally responded, “No. They were not close to a nuclear bomb three weeks ago when this war started, nor were they in June. Iranians have had a religious fatwa against the construction of nuclear weapons since 2004, and we truly had no evidence suggesting they intended to abandon this fatwa.”
Joe Kent then posed a critical question: “This points to a larger issue: Who is actually controlling our foreign policy?” He reiterated that Iran had posed no immediate threat to America and that the war “started due to Israeli pressure and its powerful American lobby” – the same phrasing he had used in his resignation letter.
In another part of the interview, the former U.S. security official acknowledged that the “martyred leader of the Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (May God bless his soul), did not fear death.”
Connection of Charlie Kirk’s Assassination to the Israeli Lobby
Kent revealed that his last meeting with Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September 2025, took place at the White House. Kirk reportedly told him, “Joe, stop us from entering a war with Iran.” The resigned director of the U.S. Center for Counterterrorism stated, “One of Trump’s closest advisors was openly asking us not to go to war with Iran and at least to reconsider our relationship with the Israelis.”
Kent explained that his team had attempted to investigate the “foreign connection” in Kirk’s assassination but stated, “We were not allowed to ask any questions. This is data that needed to be investigated.” He added that the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice halted the investigation, handing the case over to local Utah authorities who identified the shooter as the sole individual involved. Joe Kent emphasized that genuine evidence of foreign involvement in this assassination existed and warranted investigation, but this was deliberately prevented.
The resigned director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center further disclosed, “There are many unanswered questions. We know from leaked text messages that Charlie was under immense pressure from many pro-Israel financial backers.”
