'If I didn't terminate Iran's nuclear deal, you would have had a holocaust', says Trump; breaks silence on Joe Kent's resignation

Donald Trump said on Tuesday (March 17) that it was a ‘good thing’ that senior intelligence official Joe Kent resigned, criticizing him as ‘very weak on security’ over his stance on Iran. “When somebody is working with us that says they didn’t think Iran was a threat, we don’t want those people,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “They’re not smart people, or they’re not savvy people.” His comments came just hours after Kent stepped down from his position as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. In his resignation letter, Kent wrote that “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war with Iran.”

Kent further argued that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States and accused Israel of influencing the Trump administration toward conflict. Trump, who originally appointed Kent, described him as someone he “always thought… was a nice guy,” but doubled down on his position that Iran remained a serious threat, adding that “it’s a good thing that he’s out.” “Iran was a threat,” Trump said. “Every country realized what a threat Iran was.”

Also Read: ‘Nobody thought they were going to hit’: Trump on Iran’s strikes on Gulf nations. But experts clearly warned him beforehand

We do not need the help of anyone: Trump lashes out on NATO allies

In a separate development, Trump posted on Truth Social that “most” allies in NATO were unwilling to participate in the US military operation against Iran. He said he was “not surprised by their action” and reiterated his long-standing criticism that NATO is “a one-way street.” “Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea.

"In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"

The statement followed reports that Trump had earlier asked NATO allies to assist in reopening the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, though he did not mention it directly in his post. Speaking to reporters about securing oil tanker routes through the strait, Trump said: "Well we don't need any help," while noting that NATO countries had supported US actions against Iran, which he described as targeting a nuclear threat.

He added that the US had acted decisively, claiming it had dismantled Iran’s military capabilities, including its navy and air force. On NATO, Trump remarked that they were making “a foolish mistake.” “We don't need them but they should've been there.” When asked about comments from Emmanuel Macron that France would not join a Hormuz task force until hostilities ended, Trump responded that he would be out of office soon.

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