Joe Kent, the former National Counterterrorism Center Director, has reiterated his call for the withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East. This comes amid ongoing tensions with Iran. Kent urged an immediate exit to prevent potential mass casualty attacks.
He expressed his views on social media platform X, stating, “Get our troops out now before we suffer a mass casualty attack. Break the escalation trap. Trump still has the political strength at home to declare victory & have it resonate, that ability will be lost if we suffer more casualties. Now is the time to leave, immediately.”
Fox News Digital sought comments from the White House following Kent’s remarks.
Recent Developments
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) recently reported the deaths of two US service members and the missing status of another in Jordan after an Iranian attack on July 17. US military personnel found unidentified remains at the location, with verification processes currently underway.
Furthermore, CENTCOM stated that a US service member was killed on July 18 in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone. Another service member sustained minor injuries and is undergoing medical treatment.
Kent’s Stance
Kent left his counterterrorism role earlier this year because of his stance against the war with Iran. In his resignation letter, he argued, “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.”
In a separate post, Kent wrote, “We restore order by ending the conflict on our terms: deprive Iran of military targets to strike by removing our troops, bases, & naval forces from the area. Our bases in the region are liabilities & relics of the past—abandoning them is not retreat, it’s strategic adaptation to modern warfare. This move removes Iran’s primary justification for disrupting shipping in the SOH and for attacking its neighbors. We can then offer the carrot: sanctions relief in exchange for freedom of navigation in the SOH.”
Alex Nitzberg contributed reporting for Fox News Digital.
DNC Plan to Elevate Voices of Black and Latino Voters 
Clay Travis Discusses Trump’s Teleprompter Operator and Insider Trading Allegations 
Generational Decline in Trust and Increasing Contempt in the U.S. 
Clarence Thomas Shares Views on Race and Politics 
Maryland Tax Court Rejects State’s Digital Advertising Tax 
Trump’s Immigration Policy and Its Historical Parallels