White Home rips 'false claims' in counterterrorism official's resignation be aware

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White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed again Tuesday on "false claims" within the resignation letter of the nation’s prime counterterrorism official, saying President Donald Trump had "sturdy and compelling proof" that Iran was going to attack the USA first.

Joe Kent wrote on X earlier this morning that, "After a lot reflection, I've determined to resign from my position as Director of the Nationwide Counterterrorism Heart, efficient at present." Kent stated he couldn't in "good conscience" assist the continuing conflict with Iran, claiming that "Iran posed no imminent risk to our nation, and it's clear that we began this conflict because of strain from Israel and its highly effective American foyer."

"There are lots of false claims on this letter however let me tackle one particularly: that ‘Iran posed no imminent risk to our nation," Leavitt responded. "This is similar false declare that Democrats and a few within the liberal media have been repeating again and again."

"As President Trump has clearly and explicitly acknowledged, he had sturdy and compelling proof that Iran was going to assault the USA first," she added.

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White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt, left, and Joe Kent, director of the Nationwide Counterterrorism Heart. Kent introduced his resignation on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (Annabelle Gordon/AFP by way of Getty Pictures; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Pictures)

Leavitt stated, "This proof was compiled from many sources and components," and, "President Trump would by no means make the choice to deploy army property in opposition to a overseas adversary in a vacuum."

The press secretary stated Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism – a sentiment that Home lawmakers agreed with earlier this month once they handed a decision containing the identical language.

"The Iranian regime is evil. It proudly killed People, waged conflict in opposition to our nation, and brazenly threatened us all the way in which as much as the launch of Operation Epic Fury," Leavitt continued.

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/672/378/ending-iran-war-now-would-give-victory-to-regime-fox-news-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/1344/756/ending-iran-war-now-would-give-victory-to-regime-fox-news-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/931/523/ending-iran-war-now-would-give-victory-to-regime-fox-news-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/1862/1046/ending-iran-war-now-would-give-victory-to-regime-fox-news-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> The U.S. Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford conducts flight operations in assist of Operation Epic Fury in opposition to Iran, from an unidentified location, on this picture launched on March 9, 2026. (DVIDS/Reuters)

"Iran was aggressively increasing their short-range ballistic missiles to mix with their naval property to offer themselves immunity – which means they'd have a level of a capabilities that will give them immunity to carry us and the remainder of the world hostage," she added. "The regime aimed to make use of these ballistic missiles as a protect to proceed reaching their final objective – nuclear weapons."

Leavitt stated the president "finally made the dedication {that a} joint assault with Israel would vastly scale back the danger to American lives that will come from a primary strike by the terrorist Iranian regime and tackle this imminent risk to America’s nationwide safety pursuits."

She additionally slammed the "absurd allegation that President Trump made this choice based mostly on the affect of others, even overseas nations," calling Kent’s declare "insulting and laughable."

Iran's Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, was killed originally of Operation Epic Fury, which was launched by the Trump administration in opposition to Iran. (Atta Kenare/AFP by way of Getty Pictures; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)

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"President Trump has been remarkably constant and has stated for DECADES that Iran can NEVER possess a nuclear weapon," Leavitt stated. "As somebody who really witnesses President Trump’s decision-making course of each day, I can attest to the truth that he's all the time seeking to do what’s in the perfect curiosity of the USA of America — interval. America First."