Joe Kent Urges US Troop Withdrawal from Middle East Amid Iran Conflict

Joe Kent, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has called for the immediate withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East in response to ongoing tensions with Iran. He expressed this view in a post on social media platform X, urging President Donald Trump to take decisive action to prevent further casualties.

Kent emphasized the importance of avoiding a mass casualty incident and described a ‘political strength’ that President Trump still possesses. He argued that this strength would fade if American forces suffer additional losses. Kent stated, ‘Now is the time to leave, immediately.’

Recently, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that two U.S. service members have died and one remains missing after an Iranian attack in Jordan. Unidentified remains were discovered and are undergoing verification. Additionally, a service member in Iraq was killed during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone, with another service member injured.

Kent resigned from his government position earlier this year, citing his disagreement with the U.S. involvement in Iran. In his resignation letter, he claimed Iran did not pose an imminent threat and attributed U.S. involvement to influences from Israel and its American supporters.

In a separate post on X, Kent proposed removing U.S. military presence from the region. He argued that this would deprive Iran of military targets and serve as an adaptation to modern warfare. Kent suggested that withdrawing troops would also eliminate Iran’s rationale for hostile actions in the Strait of Hormuz. He proposed offering sanctions relief for peaceful navigation in exchange.

Alex Nitzberg authored the report for Fox News Digital.