UMVA has learned that former National Counterterrorism Center chief Joe Kent warned the United States could be forced “back into the war on Iran’s terms” simply by keeping military assets within striking distance of Tehran.
Kent, who resigned in March over his opposition to an Iran conflict, posted a stark warning on social media, calling the current posture a “major problem.” He argued that a swift withdrawal would preserve the ability to strike from afar while denying Iran the leverage to drag America into another costly showdown.
He reminded readers that luck has so far spared U.S. forces from casualties, but that fortune could run out at any moment. “If we withdraw now we retain the ability to strike from a distance & take away Iran’s ability to draw us back into the war,” Kent wrote, emphasizing the precariousness of the status quo.
His comments coincided with a CENTCOM update describing a recent flare‑up: at 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27, Iran fired a ballistic missile toward Kuwait, which Kuwaiti defenses intercepted, and launched five one‑way attack drones toward the Strait of Hormuz. All drones were shot down by U.S. forces, which also thwarted a sixth drone from a ground site in Bandar Abbas.
“U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression,” the statement read, underscoring the tension simmering in the Gulf.
Kent seized the moment to argue that America’s strategic interests demand a pull‑back. Citing recent operations, he noted that “Operation Midnight Hammer proved we can strike inside Iran from the U.S. without relying on our bases in the region. Operation Epic Fury showed those bases are a liability, not an asset.”
He concluded that maintaining overseas footholds gives Iran easy, reachable targets, while a timely withdrawal would tilt the balance in Washington’s favor, denying Tehran the opportunity to force a war on its own terms.
