<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="" title="Iran"><span>Iran</span></a><span> was not planning a sneak attack or working on a nuclear weapon, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span>'s former counterterrorism chief has said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/joe-kent-donald-trumpappointed-intelligence-official-resigns-over-iran-war-says-iran-posed-no-imminent-threat/752d5c36-6099-4f1c-b495-35459d02d7d9" rel="" target="" title="Joe Kent resigned yesterday"><span>Joe Kent resigned yesterday</span></a><span> in protest of the US involvement in Iran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking today to broadcaster Tucker Carlson, Kent contradicted the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-israel-says-it-killed-two-top-iranian-officials-in-wartime-blow-to-countrys-leadership/884ed391-75ff-4735-ae7c-dccb0233cb05" rel="" target="" title="central claims of the Trump administration for starting the war"><span>central claims of the Trump administration for starting the war</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-neal-dunn-terminal-diagnosis-dead-by-june-mike-johnson-usa-politics-news/b598dc61-43f2-4a3a-aaa4-d522b0154a3e" target="" title=""><strong><span>'Dead by June': Trump announces congressman's private diagnosis</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There was no intelligence that said, hey, on whatever day it was, March 1, the Iranians are going to launch this big sneak attack, they're going to do some kind of a 9/11, Pearl Harbour, etc. They're going to attack one of our bases. There was none of that intelligence," Kent said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They're very, very deliberate with the escalation ladder."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also noted the Iranian regime had a 2004 fatwa barring them from developing a nuclear weapon.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/joe-kent-tucker-carlson-interview-tulsi-gabbard-middle-east-iran-war-donald-trump-us-politics-news/b00c6b2b-d83f-46c9-b1ed-2dbb296dcc3a" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We had no intelligence to indicate that fatwa was being disobeyed," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also expressed his scepticism that killing </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-strike-on-iran-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei/14563354-250d-40b4-8330-645799b4e899" rel="" target="" title="Ayatollah Ali Khamenei"><span>Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</span></a><span> would have led to a regime collapse.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I don't think the ayatollah feared dying," Kent said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Not because he's some crazy lunatic, but because he knew if he was killed the regime would survive."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-taco-wall-street-chickens-out-financial-market-usa-news/a92a416d-13cd-49cf-96ac-62007f7cf5a2"><strong><span>The four-letter acronym that could pull Trump out of Iran</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kent said he believed </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/israel" rel="" target="" title="Israel"><span>Israel</span></a><span> drew the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="United States"><span>United States</span></a><span> into the conflict.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After his resignation yesterday, Trump said Kent was "very weak on security".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump appointed Kent to the role last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kent was a controversial appointment by Trump, with Democrats concerned with his deeply conservative views.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He rose to prominence as a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-election-fires-set-in-drop-boxes-destroy-hundreds-of-ballots-washington-oregon/6239f8b1-4f8e-4c1f-aa10-dfb46bfbc310" rel="" target="" title="Republican candidate for the House of Representatives"><span>Republican candidate for the House of Representatives</span></a><span>, though he lost both his races.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-cuba-taking-venezuela-usa-politics-news/ad77bf7e-441b-40fc-b041-37829374c809"><strong><span>Donald Trump says he'll be 'taking Cuba' in latest escalation</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Testifying before Congress today, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-19-donald-trump-officials-should-must-make-his-decisions-as-successful-as-possible-jd-vance-says-irans-new-supreme-leader-issues-a-rare-statement/db9709f9-041a-4e5d-a484-cec456ce469d" rel="" target="" title="Trump's Director of National Intelligence and Kent's former boss Tulsi Gabbard"><span>Trump's Director of National Intelligence and Kent's former boss Tulsi Gabbard</span></a><span> said Iran's regime was "largely intact".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The IC (intelligence community) assesses the regime in Iran appears to be intact, but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities," Gabbard said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The IC assesses that if a hostile regime survives, it will likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military, missiles and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) forces."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When pushed on whether she believed Iran posed an imminent threat, Gabbard deflected the question.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The conflict is now entering its 20th day with no sign of abating.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jd-vance-iran-petrol-prices-worse-overseas-gas-usa-politics-news/9bf2bac5-eb01-4f07-beeb-cbb79d7c1e94"><strong><span>The comments from Trump's right-hand man that should annoy every Aussie driver</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a 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