Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews 3/19/26 Joe Kent on How the Israelis Drove Trump Towards an Unnecessary War with Iran
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Mar 19, 2026 
Joe Kent, retired Army Special Forces officer and former director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center who resigned in 2026, discusses Israeli influence on U.S. decisions. He describes how Israeli warnings shaped Trump’s Iran policy. Conversation covers alleged pressure to force regime change, constrained diplomatic options, risks of blowback terrorism, and why he chose to resign.
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Israeli Echo Chamber Pushed Zero Enrichment Red Line
- Joe Kent says the Israel-backed echo chamber reframed Iranian enrichment as equivalent to building nukes, removing nuance and constraining President Trump's options.
- He describes media, think tanks, Israeli officials, and donors pushing a zero-enrichment red line that boxed out pragmatic negotiators.
Regime Change, Not Just Nuclear Fear
- Kent argues Israel's primary aim was regime change in Iran, not merely stopping a nuclear weapon program.
- He calls their approach a "Goldilocks methodology": claim capability but deny weaponization to justify offensive action.
How AIPAC Pushed for the Iraq War
- Kent recounts AIPAC and Netanyahu campaigning in Washington in 2002 to push the U.S. toward the Iraq war, supplying talking points and lobbying Congress.
- He links that influence to subsequent regional outcomes, including empowerment of Iran-aligned militias in Baghdad.
