Foreign
US Counterterrorism Chief Joe Kent Resigns Over Opposition to Trump’s Iran War
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The Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, has stepped down from his position, citing strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s war policy toward Iran.
Kent announced his resignation on Tuesday, stating that he could no longer support the administration’s stance on the ongoing conflict.
“I cannot in good conscience back this war,” he said, underscoring his disagreement with the decision to engage militarily.
In a statement shared on social media, Kent further argued that the justification for the conflict was flawed. According to him, Iran did not pose an immediate threat to the United States, and he suggested that external pressures influenced the decision to go to war.
“Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we entered this war due to pressure from Israel and its influential lobby in the United States,” he stated.
Kent, who assumed office in July following Senate confirmation, headed the National Counterterrorism Center, a key body responsible for analysing and coordinating intelligence on terrorist threats.
His resignation represents a significant shake-up within the administration’s national security structure, coming at a time of heightened debate over U.S. foreign policy and its approach to Iran.
Before his appointment, Kent contested two congressional elections in Washington State but was unsuccessful. He is also a former Green Beret with multiple overseas deployments and later served in intelligence roles at the Central Intelligence Agency.
His confirmation had earlier sparked partisan divisions in the Senate, with Republicans backing his nomination based on his extensive security background, while Democrats raised concerns over some of his past associations and public remarks.
During his confirmation hearing, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton defended Kent, stating that he had “dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
Kent’s exit comes amid ongoing debates in Washington over the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict and its broader counterterrorism strategy.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday claimed that they launched missile and drone attacks on United States military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, in what they described as retaliation for fresh US strikes on Iran.
This development further escalated tensions in the Gulf, coming hours after Washington carried out a new wave of military attacks on Iranian targets following alleged attacks on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to reports, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out a joint operation against “US military facilities, including Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District at Bandar Salman and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.”
The Guards also claimed that they shot down a US MQ-9 drone during the operation, although the claim had not been independently verified.
Air raid sirens reportedly sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait as the attacks unfolded.
The Kuwaiti army said its air defence systems were confronting “hostile” missile and drone attacks, while authorities in Bahrain also confirmed the activation of air defence measures.
The latest strikes followed a fresh US military operation against Iran and Washington’s decision to revoke a licence that had allowed Tehran to sell oil.
The US said its action was in response to attacks on three commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said more than 60 boats belonging to the Revolutionary Guards were among the targets hit during its operation.
Recall that CENTCOM is one of the unified combatant commands of the United States Armed Forces. Established in January 1983, it is responsible for directing and overseeing U.S. military operations and diplomatic partnerships across a vast, strategic area of the globe.
According to Investing, CENTCOM said in a statement, “The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation.”
The body of 39-year-old Anastasia Berezovskaya, a Ukrainian national wanted by authorities in Monaco concerning the recent bombing, has been found dead near Kyiv in Ukraine with gunshot wounds to the head.
The June 29 blast targeted Ukrainian business tycoon Vadym Yermolayev, injuring him, his partner, and a child. An international manhunt was launched after the attack, while Interpol issued a Red Notice.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) confirmed the death of Berezovskaya on Tuesday, days after the country’s law enforcement agencies, led by the National Police, began a pre-trial investigation into her participation.
The probe revealed the suspect arrived in Ukraine on July 1 and spoke with her family and two men. The first is an ex-law enforcement officer; the second works at the Military Directorate of the Internal Affairs Ministry.
The SBU noted that the individuals were possibly involved in the attempted murder in Monaco, as both men had repeatedly made transfers to Berezovskaya’s crypto and bank accounts.
During search actions, an employee of the GUR MOU (Ukraine’s military intelligence service) reported the killing of Berezovskaya, which he claimed to have committed together with another defendant.
The latter, according to the SBU, disclosed that he did not inform his superiors about his contacts with Berezovskaya, the transfer of funds to her, and any other actions he took, and acted on his own accord.
Also, a basement room in the form of a “torture chamber” was discovered amid a raid of the former law enforcement officer’s home. The suspects are being held on suspicion of murder in a premeditated conspiracy.
Ukraine said its relevant agencies are working with the Principality of Monaco and the Prosecutor General’s Office, while continuing to identify all the culprits and other persons involved in the attempted homicide.
US forces launched “powerful” strikes on Tuesday against Iran in response to attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said.
“The US strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz” and will “impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping,” US Central Command said in a post on X.
“Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” it added.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8, but sporadic violence has continued in the Gulf region, including attacks on ships by Tehran’s forces and US strikes on Iran.
Tuesday’s strikes were the first by US forces on Iran since a series of air raids late last month that Washington also said were in response to attacks on commercial vessels by Tehran’s forces.
AFP
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