White House rebuts NCTC exit over Iran war claims​

Washington, March 17 (IANS) The White House on Tuesday forcefully rejected claims by outgoing National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Joe Kent that Iran posed no imminent threat, even as his resignation marked the first high-level exit from the Trump administration in protest against the war.​

“There are many false claims in this letter, but let me address one specifically: that ‘Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,’” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.​

“This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over.”​

Her remarks came shortly after Kent announced his resignation. “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” he said.​

Kent directly challenged the rationale for the conflict. “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”​

The White House defended the intelligence basis for the operation. “As President Trump has clearly and explicitly stated, he had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first,” Leavitt said.​

“This evidence was compiled from many sources and factors. President Trump would never make the decision to deploy military assets against a foreign adversary in a vacuum.”​

Kent, however, warned against repeating past mistakes. In his resignation letter, he reiterated that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation” and cautioned that “we cannot make this mistake again.”

He said the United States risked being drawn into another costly conflict under flawed assumptions and external pressure.​

Drawing on his personal experience, Kent said he could not support sending “the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.”

Leavitt described Iran as a major and evolving threat. “Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.”​

“The Iranian regime is evil. It proudly killed Americans, waged war against our country, and openly threatened us all the way up to the launch of Operation Epic Fury.”​

She said the administration had pursued diplomacy before military action. “But they would not say yes to peace because obtaining nuclear weapons was their fundamental goal.”​

Leavitt added that the President acted to prevent a larger attack. “President Trump ultimately made the determination that a joint attack with Israel would greatly reduce the risk to American lives that would come from a first strike by the terrorist Iranian regime and address this imminent threat to America’s national security interests.”​

“The Commander-in-Chief determines what does and does not constitute a threat,” she said.​

Kent also acknowledged his tenure. “It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America.”​

The resignation triggered a sharp political response, including from Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark R. Warner, who criticised Kent’s record but agreed with his core claim.​

“Joe Kent’s record is deeply troubling, and in my view, he never should have been confirmed to lead the National Counterterrorism Center,” Warner said.​

However, he added: “But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.”​

“Ignoring the facts to pursue a predetermined war puts American lives at risk and undermines our national security,” Warner said.​

The National Counterterrorism Center plays a central role in analysing terrorism threats and coordinating intelligence across agencies, making the resignation of its director highly unusual and politically sensitive.​

The United States has previously faced scrutiny over intelligence used to justify military action in the Middle East, most notably during the Iraq war, where claims about weapons of mass destruction were later discredited.

--IANS

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