Whistleblower or traitor? FBI probing Joe Kent for leaking classified secrets after he 'exposes' Trump’s Iran war strategy

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation into former Counterterrorism Director Joe Kent. This comes just a little over 24 hours after the US intel chief resigned in protest of the Iran war claiming that the Feb 28 strikes were based on a fabricated imminent threat. The Trump administration has confirmed he is under investigation for allegedly leaking classified secrets.

Is the FBI Probe Into Joe Kent a Political Retaliation?

According to a NewsNation report, Kent was already under investigation when he resigned his resignation from the post on Tuesday, arguing that Iran posed "no imminent threat" to the US. He insisted that Iran did not pose any "imminent threat" to the US and claimed external pressure, including from Israeli officials and US media, influenced the conflict, assertions the administration rejected as false.

"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," he wrote on X, posting a copy of his resignation.

While the Trump admin has confirmed that Kent is under investigation by the FBI, the agency is yet to issue a statement.

'Israel Drove the Decision': What Joe Kent Told Tucker Carlson

Doubling down on his reason for resignation, Kent an interview with right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson insisted that Israel influenced US into participating in the war. "The Israelis drove the decision to take this action," he said, adding "which we knew would set off a series of events, meaning the Iranians would retaliate."

Countering US President Donald Trump's claim that hitting Iran was necessary because Tehran posed an imminent threat to American national security, he said "that just simply did not exist".

He also claimed that former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier this month in US-Israeli strikes, was actually "preventing" Iran from "getting a nuclear weapon".

"I'm no fan of the former supreme leader… however, he was moderating their nuclear program. He was preventing them from getting a nuclear weapon," said Kent in his first public remarks since stepping down.

He insisted that US intel did not predict a surprise 9/11 like attack on American targets. "There was no intelligence that said… the Iranians are going to launch this big sneak attack… some kind of a 9/11, Pearl Harbor," he said.

Why Trump and Tulsi Gabbard Disagree with Joe Kent on the 'Iran Threat'

The Iran war on Thursday (Mar 19) entered its 20th day. Since the start of the conflict, President Donald Trump has sought to justify the war with Iran citing Tehran's alleged plans to make nuclear weapons. However, Kent claims that Trump "started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby".

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Kent’s comments as “insulting and laughable.”

Trump himself went further, questioning Kent’s judgement. "I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security," the president said. "When I read his statement I realized it’s a good thing that he’s out."

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.