Hours after a top security official in US President Donald Trump's administration resigned over the war in Iran on Tuesday, saying the country had posed no imminent threat to the United States, there has been theories about his bold step. Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Centre, is the first senior official in Trump's administration to resign over the conflict, now in its third week. "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," Kent wrote in a letter posted to social media.
What led to Kent's resignation?
Although what triggered him to drop a bombshell resignation letter is not known, except what he described in the note, some called his action a remorse of losing someone close to his heart.
In the past 18 days of the war, more than 2,300 people were killed in Iran, a majority of them were civilians. In the first week of the war, US targetted an elementary school, resulting in the killing of 165 schoolgirls. This triggered a massive anti-US sentiment across the world.
Kent's love for his slain wife
Kent, who served in the US Army for 20 years, completing 11 combat deployments, many in the Middle East, had lost his first wife, Shannon Kent, in an ISIS suicide bombing in Syria in 2019. She was a Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer and was killed in Manbij Syria conducting Special Operations against ISIS.
Kent co-wrote a book about her life and career as a Navy cryptologic technician, "Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War," and has frequently talked in interviews over the years about the impact of her death and of his experiences serving in active combat zones, according to USA Today. Kent did not mention whether this triggered him to resign amid the mounting civilian deaths in Iran, but his interviews suggest he is very much broken by his first wife’s death.
What Trump said on Kent's resignation
Hours after Kent’s resignation, Trump called him "weak in security" despite knowing his past experience in the armed forces. Speaking during a press briefing at the White House, Trump said, "Well, I read his statement. I always thought he was a nice guy, but he was always weak on security." "When I read his statement, I realised that it's a good thing that he is out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat to every country," Trump said.
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Kent is known for opposing military interventions
Kent has long been known for his "America First" beliefs and has said he opposes US military interventions abroad. Still, the announcement came as a surprise, one US official said. Kent is close with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has kept a low profile since the Iran war began.
"After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion," Gabbard said on social media on Tuesday.
The National Intelligence Council, which is overseen by Gabbard's office, issued several assessments both before and after the US strikes began that highlighted the risks of US intervention. Those reports indicated the Iranian government was unlikely to collapse and Iran would likely retaliate against US outposts in the region and Gulf allies.
(With inputs from agency)