Who Besides Kent Shares His View of Iran War?
March 18—Washington is abuzz with speculation as to who else in the Trump Administration shares the view of Joe Kent, who resigned yesterday as the Director of the National Counterintelligence Center, that the President was duped by Israel and a pro-Zionist "media echo chamber" into going into war in Iran that does not serve American interests and betrays the President's pledge to keep the United States out of senseless wars in the Middle East.
Despite the fact that intelligence assessments shared Kent's view that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States, Trump said that he went with his "gut" and thought such assessments were wrong. He accepted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu's claim that Iran was preparing to strike Israel and American assets and was determined to develop a nuclear weapon.
How Netanyahu Forced Trump’s Hand
Sources report—including sources close to the White House—that Kent was correct in asserting that the President was misled by Netanyahu. But they also confirm Trump’s hand was forced when Bibi informed him that he would not back a nearly completed nuclear deal negotiated between Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. That deal would have permanently halted Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions, removed enriched uranium from Iran, and created a moratorium on enrichment until a plan could be arranged for enriched uranium for medical research, and reactor use. The U.S. was even willing to provide the Iranians with nuclear fuel for reactors for free.
If the pact was agreed to, there would be immediate sanctions relief, and eventually the phasing out of all sanctions.
Bibi, rejecting the pact outright, announced that Israel would bomb Iran and kill its leadership immediately.
Trump’s Fear of Political Backlash
"At that point, Trump needed to threaten Bibi and Israel and force them to back down and accept a negotiated settlement," said a source with knowledge of Trump’s decision-making. "He was scared by the crazy Christian Zionists in his Administration, like crazy Secretary of War "Crusader" Pete Hegseth, and among his base, and in Congress. Most were certain to attack him for selling out Israel. He could have shot this whole thing down, but he chose to go with the Zionists."
"So, Kent was totally on the mark," the source added. "It was Trump who sold his base out, the very people opposed to more wars in the Middle East. He’s trying to frame this as a victory, but it’s not: the war is brutal and Iran’s regime is still standing. Now he faces the worst trap of all—sending troops, either to open the Strait of Hormuz or to secure the enriched uranium. Or worse, intervening if Israeli agents succeed in inciting riots in Iran, hoping to get protesters slaughtered so Trump feels pressured to send American troops. Then you have a total bloodbath—a real war in which Israel sends no troops while Americans and Iranians die in large numbers."
Growing Dissent Within the Administration
"Trump needs to understand that Bibi is a bloodthirsty son of a bitch who wants to kill as many Iranians as possible and send Iran back to the Stone Age," said the source. "He doesn’t want to 'Make Iran Great Again.'"
Asked who shares Kent’s concerns, the source named Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, who reportedly favored a diplomatic solution and warned Trump that neither airstrikes nor a ground invasion would topple the Iranian regime without catastrophic loss of life.
Gen. Caine also warned that Iran would likely block the Strait of Hormuz if attacked, sparking an international economic crisis. The source noted that such a scenario could force Trump to seek negotiations before midterm elections, as economic chaos would devastate the GOP. "Look at the numbers," the source said. "Even with all the Christian Zionists in his base, the country is overwhelmingly against this war. Support for Israel has collapsed since the Gaza genocide. So when Trump says the Iranians ‘kill babies and women and children,’ the average American says back, ‘just like the Israelis.’"
No Path Forward Without Removing Netanyahu
The source continued, "When you killed the spiritual leader of hundreds of millions of Shi'ites [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei], you made future negotiations impossible. The Israelis did this on purpose, and Trump still doesn’t get it. Bibi made the war religious. The Iranians now see the U.S. as a puppet of Israel and demand that America leave the region.
"You need a strong outside mediator—Trump once thought Putin could play that role—but even he can’t guarantee Israeli cooperation. You had another chance with [Ali] Larijani, who wanted moderation and reform. Bibi killed him too. He’s creating a scenario for permanent war and has sucked the U.S. into it."
"There might be one last chance," the source concluded. "You need to get rid of Netanyahu and his regime. You need humans running the Jewish state. The Israelis need to take care of this, and the U.S. needs to help them do it. We need regime change in Jerusalem.
"Then maybe you can negotiate something with Iran. And you need Pope Leo XIV to stay involved—to frame this as a dialogue of religions and cultures, not a clash. Americans must back that initiative and steer the White House away from Christian Zionists and their Armageddon thinking. It helps that the Pope is an American."
The following is the link to a copy of Joe Kent's letter of resignation to President Trump:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HDnawxTW8AAUAMR?format=jpg&name=large