Joe Kent refutes Trump's claims of Iran developing nuclear weapons: 'That did not exist'

Joe Kent

• Joe Kent disputes US claims on Iran's nuclear weapon progress
• Kent accuses Israel of influencing US strikes on Iran
• Kent says Iran's leadership maintains a ban on nuclear weapons

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A day after stepping down from his post, Joe Kent has challenged the basis of the United States’ decision to strike Iran, disputing claims that Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon and accusing Israel of influencing Washington’s actions.

Kent, who previously headed the National Counterterrorism Center, spoke about his resignation in an interview with Tucker Carlson, where he outlined his disagreements with the policy direction taken during the conflict.

The remarks come amid repeated assertions by Donald Trump and members of his administration that Iran’s nuclear programme posed an immediate danger to US national security. Trump had recently said that Iran was just two weeks away from acquiring a nuclear weapon and had cited this as justification for the February 28 strikes.

Responding to those claims, Kent said, "That just simply did not exist."

He further added, "No. They weren't three weeks ago when this started, and they weren't in June either," referring to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025.

Kent also pointed to what he described as a long-standing religious restriction within Iran’s leadership, saying the country’s Islamic regime had maintained a ban on developing nuclear weapons since 2004. "We had no intelligence to indicate that fatwa was being disobeyed," he said, describing Iran’s approach as "actually pretty pragmatic."

Beyond the nuclear issue, Kent criticised the broader direction of the conflict, suggesting that Israel played a significant role in shaping US involvement and pushing the situation toward escalation.

He also spoke about the impact of the reported killing of Ali Khamenei, arguing that it did not weaken the regime as intended. "I don't think the Ayatollah feared dying. Not because he's some crazy lunatic, but because he knew if he were killed, the regime would survive," Kent said.