Joe Kent, former director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, criticized President Donald Trump’s hawkish policy and said a war with Iran would not serve US national security interests. In an interview with Fox News, Kent said Iran had not posed an imminent or immediate threat to the United States, and argued that the president has sufficient political authority to declare an end to the war.

Kent also criticized Israel’s role in what he described as the start of unjustified aggression against Iran. He said Israel’s influence within the Trump administration and Tel Aviv’s pressure on Washington to join the conflict were important factors behind US involvement. He further said the United States should not support parties involved in espionage and influence operations against Washington.

Referring to Iranian missile and drone attacks on US military bases in the region, Kent said Iran had demonstrated an ability to strike such facilities with ballistic missiles and drones. He said these attacks had forced the United States to evacuate several military bases, while its regional military presence leaves troops and installations vulnerable to potential Iranian targeting.