Joe Kent
Joe Kent is a US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) veteran who served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center under the Trump administration from 2025 until March 2026, when he resigned in protest of the US war against Iran, saying Iran posed no imminent threat and citing pressure from Israel and its lobby. He now appears as a national-security commentator, including on Judging Freedom and Glenn Diesen, arguing for US withdrawal from Middle East bases and quiet diplomacy.
Where they stand
A short read of where Joe Kent lands on each front we follow, drawn from their recent appearances and refreshed whenever they turn up in a debrief.
Iran
The war still has no viable endgame short of a nuclear strike or open-ended occupation, and the blowback has only widened: the US has now lost effective control of both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb, and Yemeni tribes are rallying to the Houthis as anti-American, anti-Israeli defenders rather than Iranian proxies, a self-fulfilling prophecy of US policy. Iran still retains enough dispersed missiles and drones to keep striking US ships and allied infrastructure at will. His recommendation is unchanged since he resigned: walk away, close the regional bases, and trade sanctions relief for reopened shipping lanes.
as of 2026-09-11
Ukraine & Russia
The Zelensky government remains a US/UK-intelligence-dependent proxy structure, and Kent still wants the US to end targeting and intelligence support and force negotiations on Istanbul-agreement terms, accepting Russian gains in Donbas. The Middle East and Ukraine wars are now merging into one broader confrontation: a US or Israeli nuclear strike on Iran would likely prompt Putin to use one in Ukraine, risking an Article 5 crisis.
as of 2026-09-11
Israel
Israeli-lobby pressure sabotaged the June memorandum that could have ended the war, and now Israel and its lobby are pushing Trump toward a bigger, possibly nuclear strike on Iran timed for after the midterms rather than letting him walk away. The US needs to meaningfully restrain Israel financially and diplomatically instead of following its lead deeper into the war.
as of 2026-09-11
East Asia
China is the smartest actor in the room, quietly benefiting from the chaos by continuing business with Iran and helping Russia absorb sanctions while the US fleet stays tied down in the Middle East. It is gaining ground without spending a dollar or taking a single risk.
as of 2026-09-11
American power
Clinging to sole-superpower status is imperial hubris that no longer serves ordinary Americans. The claim that the US serves as the Middle East security guarantor has now been shattered outright, and continuing the war is bleeding out the empire for zero strategic gain. The only rational course is to close the regional bases and walk away.
as of 2026-09-11
The global economy
Expelling Russia from SWIFT while simultaneously waging economic war on Iran has effectively set the petrodollar and US financial prestige on fire. Kent still argues the US should re-engage Russia and Iran commercially to keep them dollar-dependent rather than pushing both toward alternative payment systems.
as of 2026-09-11
Recent appearances
U.S. policy is radicalizing the Middle East (w/ Daniel Davis)
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive · 2026-09-11