FBI Investigates Ex-Counterterrorism Chief & Iran Dispute

The resignation of Joe Kent, a senior counter-terrorism official who opposed the U.S. war in Iran, has been followed by reports that he is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation over an alleged leak of classified information.

FBI Investigates Former Counterterrorism Director

The inquiry into Kent predates his departure on Tuesday from his position as director of the national counterterrorism center, where he oversaw analysis of terrorist threats, according to Semafor and CBS News. The FBI has declined to comment on the existence of an investigation.

Kent Alleges Limited Debate on Iran Strikes

The report surfaced as Kent, the first senior administration member to resign over the war, gave his first media interview since stepping down. Speaking to Tucker Carlson, he claimed dissenting voices were largely excluded from the decision-making process leading to U.S. airstrikes on Iran on February 28.

“A good deal of key decision makers were not allowed to come and express their opinion to the president,” Kent said on The Tucker Carlson Show podcast. “There wasn’t a robust debate.”

Kent, a staunch Donald Trump ally and conspiracy theorist, appeared careful not to directly criticize the president. However, he described a White House where Trump relied on a small group of advisors, sidelining officials who questioned the intelligence and strategic rationale behind the strikes.

Claims of Israeli Influence

Kent insisted there was no evidence that Iran was on the verge of acquiring a nuclear weapon or posed an immediate threat to the U.S. “There was no intelligence that said, ‘Hey, on whatever day it was, March 1, the Iranians are going to launch this big sneak attack – they’re going to do some kind of a 9/11, Pearl Harbor, et cetera, they are going to attack one of our bases.’ There was none of that intelligence.”

He alleged that Israel effectively pressured Trump into action. “The Israelis drove the decision to take this action,” he said, claiming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials lobbied the president with claims that did not align with established intelligence channels.

Kent added that Israeli officials often present information to U.S. officials that is not corroborated by U.S. intelligence. Such remarks have drawn criticism, with some arguing that references to an “Israeli lobby” are offensive.

Divergent Objectives

Kent also cited comments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson as evidence of Israel’s influence on the timing of the strikes. He noted that the U.S. and Israel have differing goals.

“Most folks right now at the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies, they would say, us and the Israelis actually have a different objective here,” Kent stated. “I don’t believe that our objective has been clearly defined because we’re shying away from regime change. The Israelis are not shying from regime change. They want to knock out, lock, stock and barrel the current government. They don’t seem to have a plan for what comes next.”

Kent said he resigned after realizing his concerns would be ignored. “I know this path that we’re on, it doesn’t work,” he said. “I can’t be a part of this in good conscience.”

Kent, a Green Beret veteran with 11 combat deployments, joined the CIA after retiring. He experienced personal tragedy when his wife, a navy cryptologist, was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019, leaving him with two young sons. Kent, 45, has since remarried.

Intelligence Director Defers to President

Kent’s work at the national counterterrorism center was overseen by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who stated on Wednesday that it is up to Trump to determine whether Iran poses a threat.

Gabbard, a veteran and former congresswoman from Hawaii, previously criticized military strikes against Iran. She has not commented on the current strikes, and a spokesperson has declined to answer questions.

White House Response

The White House strongly refuted Kent’s claims upon his resignation. Trump dismissed him as “weak on security,” asserting that Iran represents “a tremendous threat” and suggesting that those who disagree lack judgement. “If somebody didn’t think it was a threat, we don’t want those people,” he said.