ALWAGHT- A former US counterterrorism chief says the US intelligence community confirmed that Tehran was not developing a nuclear weapon prior to the 40-day war on Iran.
Joe Kent, former director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, stated that before the February 28, 2026 US-Israeli war on Iran, the intelligence community—including the CIA—was unanimous that Iran was not developing a nuclear weapon. The intelligence also correctly assessed that attacking Iranian leadership would strengthen hardliners and that Iran would target US bases and shut the Strait of Hormuz if attacked. However, Kent asserted that the "narrative and agenda" pushed by Israel overruled these professional assessments and "forced us into this war."
Kent resigned from his post in March to protest what he called an unwarranted aggression. In his resignation letter, he stated he could not in good conscience support the war against Iran, emphasizing that Tehran posed no immediate threat to the US. He directly blamed Israeli pressure and the "powerful American lobby" for compelling President Trump to launch the war, and called for a full understanding of how this manipulation occurred to prevent being put in such a position again.
