Discontent erupts in sectors of the MAGA movement against Donald Trump's initiative to engage in war against Iran. Joe Kent has resigned as the National Counterterrorism Center on Tuesday. He does so with a letter stating that Iran "did not pose an imminent threat" and accuses Israel's misinformation of leading the US into this conflict. "I urge you to reflect," he asks Trump at the end of his letter, which he shared on social media.
Regarding the evolution of the war in the Middle East, Israel has announced that last night it killed Ali Larijani in an airstrike, considered the 'strongman' of the ayatollahs' regime.
Joe Kent, a well-connected former Green Beret with the far right in the US
Kent is a former political candidate with connections to far-right extremists. He was confirmed in his position last July by a 52-44 vote. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent was in charge of an agency responsible for analyzing and detecting terrorist threats. Before joining the Trump administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful congressional campaigns in the state of Washington. He also served in the military, with 11 deployments as a Green Beret followed by work in the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing out his ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the nationalist Christian group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a false conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault, as well as false claims that Trump won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden. Democrats grilled Kent harshly about his involvement in a Signal group chat used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans. However, Republicans praised Kent's credentials in counterterrorism, citing his military and intelligence experience.
Senator Tom Cotton, the Republican chairman of the intelligence committee, said in a speech on the floor that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and protecting Americans."
Joe Kent's plea to Trump: "I urge you to reflect"
"I cannot support the next generation going to fight and die in a war that does not benefit the American people or justify the cost of American lives. I urge you to reflect on what we are doing in Iran and for whom we are doing it. The time has come to act decisively. You can rectify and chart a new course for our nation, or allow us to sink further into decay and chaos. You have the final word. It was an honor to serve in your administration and serve our great nation."
Another paragraph from Joe Kent's resignation letter, until today head of the US National Counterterrorism Center.
Joe Kent laments Israeli misinformation that has led to the war
In his resignation letter, Joe Kent explains why he does not share the need for a war against Iran and points to Israeli misinformation, citing the precedent of the war in Iraq.
This is what he says in his resignation letter:
"At the beginning of this administration, senior Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a disinformation campaign that completely undermined their 'America First' platform and sowed bellicose sentiments to incite a war with Iran. This strategy was used to deceive them and make them believe that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States and that, if they attacked now, they had a clear path to a quick victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to drag us into the disastrous Iraq war, which cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again."
Trump's top counterterrorism advisor resigns and states that Iran "did not pose an imminent threat"
The top US counterterrorism official has resigned on Tuesday in protest against the US war with Iran, stating that Tehran did not pose any imminent threat.
"After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, with immediate effect," declares Joe Kent in a post on X. "I cannot, in good conscience, support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran did not pose any imminent threat to our nation, and it is evident that we initiated this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."
CMA CGM enables "alternative land corridors" due to the Ormuz blockade
The French shipping company CMA CGM announced on Tuesday that it will transport its containers by land through Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates to continue supplying its customers in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, who can no longer receive container ships due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
CMA CGM will mainly use the port of Jeddah, located in western Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea, as the gateway for cargo ships from China and Asia to ensure the continuity of its deliveries to the Middle East, as reported by the world's third-largest shipping company in a statement. The system, which will connect Jeddah with Dammam (eastern Saudi Arabia) by road, will also allow "connecting flows to the Mediterranean and Asia without having to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," the shipping company said.
Netanyahu claims killing Larijani gives Iranians "the opportunity to take control of their destiny"
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated on Tuesday that by killing Ali Larijani, Israel was giving Iranians "the opportunity to take control of their destiny." He made this statement in a video released by his office. "This morning, we eliminated Ali Larijani, the leader of a gang of thugs who actually rule Iran," Netanyahu declared. "We are shaking up this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people the opportunity to rid themselves of it," he added, "and if we persevere, we will give them the opportunity to take control of their destiny."
Iran denies that Mojtaba Jamenei is in Russia for treatment of injuries
Iranian authorities denied on Tuesday that the new Supreme Leader of the country, Mojtaba Jamenei, is in Russia for medical treatment of injuries sustained during the US and Israel bombings against Tehran. "Today's news about the transfer of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution to Russia for medical treatment is a new psychological war. The Iranian leader has no reason to flee and hide in shelters. His place is on the streets alongside his people," wrote the Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, in Russian on his X account.
Official Russian media outlets, such as the TASS news agency and several newspapers, immediately reproduced the denial by the Iranian diplomat. Previously, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida wrote that Jamenei had been secretly transferred to Moscow on a Russian military plane for surgery. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had already left these reports without comment on Monday during his daily telephone press briefing.
Israel kills three people in Gaza
An Israeli airstrike killed at least three people, including a child, in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, according to local health authorities. This new act of violence jeopardizes the ceasefire, which is under pressure during the regional war between Israel and the United States against Iran.
Doctors indicated that the airstrike targeted a vehicle in the western area of Khan Younis, south of the enclave, causing the death of three people, including a child, and injuring twelve others. Israel did not comment immediately. The Israeli military has continued to attack Gaza during the regional war with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. On Sunday, it killed twelve people in Gaza, including nine police officers, in an attack that, according to Israel, targeted a Hamas cell. The military cited threats or shots from Hamas as the reason for their attacks.
According to health authorities in Gaza, the Israeli offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 72,000 Palestinians, including more than 670 since a ceasefire was reached last October. Gaza health officials claim that at least 40 people have died from Israeli gunfire since the United States and Israel launched joint attacks against Iran at the end of February.
UN investigates the attack on an Iranian school
The UN has initiated a formal investigation into the bombing of a primary school on the first day of the US and Israeli attacks against Iran, according to one of its members who spoke to the press on Tuesday.
The attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school consisted of two missile strikes in rapid succession that caused the death of 168 minors, mostly girls. Reuters reported on March 5 that US military investigators believe it is likely that US forces are responsible, but they have not reached a definitive conclusion or completed their investigation. The Pentagon has elevated the investigation to a higher level. "We are in the early stages of that investigation," said Max du Plessis, a member of the UN Investigation Mission.