Radio and Fox News host Mark Levin and former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent clashed in a fiery on-air exchange Monday night over Israel’s role in the Iran war.
Kent resigned from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence over U.S. involvement in the conflict, stating in his resignation letter that a “misinformation campaign” by Israel influenced President Donald Trump into striking Iran. During an appearance on “The Mark Levin Show,” Kent and Levin argued about whether the U.S. is fighting the war on behalf of Israel.
“[Trump] made a decision. Can’t you accept the fact that he’s a great president, that he took in all this information, he listened to all his advisers, that he made a decision?” Levin said. “You may disagree with him. But why are you creating a conspiratorial notion that Israel, nine-and-a-half million people, a tiny economy and everything, dragged powerful Donald Trump and the United States into war? … Where did you come up with that one?”
“In this administration, I watched the Israeli media echo chamber and the Israeli government … I watched the red line move from no nukes to no enrichment. That basically short-circuited the ability for there to be a deal leading us basically to a military conflict that was driven by Israel,” Kent said.
Kent argued that a fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ali Khomenei has forbid Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon since 2004. Levin argued that top administration officials and intelligence agencies believe Iran had nuclear capabilities, and accused Kent of baselessly blaming the conflict on Israel.
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“Joe Kent, the president said he decided to take these steps because the Iranians weren’t negotiating in good faith, his envoys backed him and say they just told us they have all this nuclear material and that they’re not gonna give it up, that they’re not gonna give it to a third party and a number of other things and you say it was Israel, explain,” Levin said.
“The Israelis launched the attack and we knew that the Iranians would counterattack. The only imminent attack was actually the Israelis launching the attack and so that’s what got us into this,” Kent said.
“That’s been denied, Joe,” Levin said. “Hold on, Joe. That President of the United States said he dragged the Israelis in.”
Kent further said Israel wanted the U.S. in the conflict to facilitate regime change in Iran. In response, Levin accused Kent of being “conspiratorial.”
“I don’t think a foreign government should be allowed to dictate when we go to war,” Kent said.
“I don’t think they did. I think the president, Joe, you’re gonna keep mentioning Israelis, it’s getting very boring and silly. The president made a decision, the president said he made the decision,” Levin replied.
The Trump administration has not identified the imminent threat that Iran posed to the U.S. at the time of the attack on Feb. 28. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the attacks were intended to protect Americans troops from Iranian counterattacks, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the strikes were meant to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities and degrade its ballistic missile program.
Top administration officials told congressional members in February that Israel would have acted with or without the U.S. since Iran posed an existential threat to their nation.
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