Trumps senior counter terrorism officer resigns due to the war with Iran and has said they only went to war because of Israeli pressure, not because of any imminent threat from Iran.

White House says counterterror chief wrong to say Iran posed 'no imminent threat'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on social media, saying Kent had made "many false claims" in his resignation letter.

Specifically on Kent's statement that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation" - Leavitt says Trump had "strong and compelling evidence" that Iran was going to attack the United States.

"This evidence was compiled from many sources and factors. President Trump would never make the decision to deploy military assets against a foreign adversary in a vacuum," she says - adding that Iran was given "every single possible opportunity" to abandon nuclear ambitions.

"President Trump ultimately made the determination that a joint attack with Israel would greatly reduce the risk to American lives that would come from a first strike by the terrorist Iranian regime and address this imminent threat to America’s national security interests," she says.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx2lr40g17kt

It was obliterated. You think it was obliterated and rebuilt?

@Notonthestairs lied to in what way

What do you think they were doing re bombing last year ?

Quelle surprise.

@Yapper73 I don't know why I'm suddenly being asked lots of questions maybe I sound misleadingly authoritative ?as I've said to the previous posters I'm just an arm chair commentator.

However one would think that the concentration of troops is not all protected the strait

Getting millions of troops to the straight with no air cover and Israel and USA dominating the skies would be risky for them .
Again having many tropes on the ground massing would be risky like us stuck at dunkirk.

They need troops to keep the civilian population down across the country. So I'm not sure how many or how they could send serious numbers to fight in that particular area.

However maybe it's a good tactic to draw them there ?

I think we were lied to before. And will be again.

This guy has very respectable credentials and surely his words must carry a lot of weight. I hope he is the first of many.

@Notonthestairs again I'm an armchair commentator so im not sure why you are asking me?
Do you have access to any higher knowledge ?

Last year I assume they tried to take it out but either werent able too , didn't get all the sites ?

What do you think ?

Well that would at least be a plan but there’s a million Iranians in the military how do 5000 marines fight them off? Surely, it will be a blood bath. It’s terrifying

Oops, x-post with @Notonthestairs.

How will they find any when all Iran's nuclear capabilities were "obliterated" by the USA and Israel last June?🤔

Its WMD all over again.

So what were they doing last year?

He says his wife died in a war manufactured by Israel. His wife died in the syrian civil war. That had nothing to do with Israel, he’s a conspiracy theorist the anti semites usually are though..

@Yapper73 I've seen maps showing troops along the straight part to try and take out any capability there to stop attacks on boats.

@Notonthestairs I'm not a military strategist I'm an arm chair commentator so feel free to cast aside my comments
What I'm reading is that joint spy teams are in Iran now looking for uranium sites .
One site at least Israel would need several hours to blow up one site.

Bombing any infrastructure around nuke building would be the obvious ones but hard to achieve if buried in mountains

Where is he going to put the Marines that are heading that way? A ground invasion is a whole different ball game to what he’s doing now

The USA had zero plan and is not in a position to secure anything wrt Iran. The USA can use its own minesweepers and navy. And of course those of Israel and their friends in the Gulf. We should have nothing to do with his destruction of the Middle East. Long may Starmer's refusal continue.

Trump keeps saying he doesn't need us, so he should just crack on instead of whining like a pissy wee bitch.🤷‍♀️

How are they going to 'finish off the nuke side'?

Zelenskky is on sky news now saying it's a good thing if iran can be destroyed.
Essentially I think if they can finish off the nuke side they would be good for everyone.

What I'm struggling to understand is how they seem to have no plans for this strait ?
A commentator on sky or BBC said earlier when in the military you war game and every game with Iran came back to that strait ! They have the world by it's throat.

I can't fathom why they didn't go for that island first and secure that coast land ?

I do think we should help out with minesweepers at least

I think any country that can help with equipment that's passive like mine sweepers should.

Almost poetic that this month is the 20th Anniversary of the release of the seminal article that led to a book on the topic by Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer:
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/israel-lobby-and-us-foreign-policy

This is a consequence of people not being allowed to talk about the influence Israel has on America. Joe Kent is a brave man.

He can't it's done, he killed MAGA. There was a beautiful coalition of young, working class, Black, Hispanic, former Libertarian/Democrats who voted for Trump due to his promise of no new wars and to put America First. They saw him call off a bomb strike in his first administration after being informed that civilians would be killed.

This bloodthirsty, evil, angry person is not who they voted for. My American friends have apologised and they are so angry, disappointed and disaffected, they're not voting in November. No decent American wants to see their weapons double tap bombing a girl's school and killing. They don't want to see their sons and daughters coming home in coffins.

Trump tied his base to Netanyahu's desires and needs, he put America last and one thing about MAGA they will punish you. He will shout and he will lie but between the Epstein files, Middle East disasters and cancelling people like Tucker Carlson, Trump's cooked.

Perhaps Mark Levin, Laura Loomer, Fox News et al can save him.....
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/poll-israels-standing-plummets-democrats-fueling-primaries-left-rcna262995

Well that’s a surprise isn’t it 🙄

Off topic but Joe Kent is a strange looking man.

Trump appears to have only Netanyahu these days.