Joe Kent reveals 18 US intel agencies agreed Iran had 'no capacity' to build nuclear weapon

WASHINGTON, DC: Joe Kent, former counterterrorism chief, resigned last week and has been speaking out about Iran and the Trump administration. In a one-on-one interview with Megyn Kelly, he said US intelligence agencies agreed that Iran could not develop a nuclear weapon.

He said that getting the agencies to agree on anything is very challenging. “It is a laborious and sometimes intense process of coordination,” he added. Kent said the US started the conflict with Iran due to “pressure from Israel.” He had been serving under Tulsi Gabbard for eight months during the Trump administration. 

Joe Kent talks about Iran nuclear threat based on intel assessments

In a recent interview on 'The Megyn Kelly Show', Kent highlighted the rare consensus among intelligence agencies. According to him, “America's 18 intelligence agencies all agreed that Iran had no capacity to develop a nuclear bomb.”

During the interview, Kent explained how challenging it is to get all agencies to reach an agreement. “It is a very laborious, and sometimes a very intense process of coordination, and having people argue their cases,” he said. He emphasized that the Defense Intelligence Agency, which specializes in military assessments, also confirmed Iran was 'not' pursuing nuclear weapons.

Kent also addressed conflicting claims from other governments. “Even though you have the 18 intelligence agencies saying that their nuclear capability is gone, they’re still somehow digging out from the rubble and will be able to assemble 10 bombs in two weeks,” he said, referring to warnings from Israel.

Kent said his view is the same as the Director of National Intelligence, based on research and talks from 18 agencies.

Joe Kent says Ali Khamenei kept Iran’s nukes in check

Kent stated in his first interview since resigning, speaking with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, that the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been “moderating” Iran’s nuclear program. Kent said that while he is not a fan of Khamenei, the leader was preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Kent added that Iran was unlikely to give up its nuclear program, but it was far from obtaining a bomb. “I’m no fan of the former supreme leader, you know, Ali Khamenei, however, he was moderating their nuclear program. He was preventing them from getting a nuclear weapon. If you take him out, if you kill him aggressively, people are going to rally around that regime,” he explained.

When asked whether Iran was on the verge of building a nuclear weapon, Kent responded, “No, they weren’t.”