Ex-US Official Urges Washington to Accept Iran’s Regional Role

By Staff, Agencies

Former US counterterrorism chief Joe Kent has urged Washington to withdraw its military forces from the Middle East and recognize Iran as a major regional power, arguing that months of conflict have demonstrated Tehran’s strengthened position while exposing the costs of continued US involvement.

Kent, a former Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer who resigned in March in protest over the war with Iran, said there was “no military solution” to the conflict and warned that further escalation would only result in more American casualties and greater regional instability.

Writing on Saturday, Kent argued that restoring stability and ensuring the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz should be Washington’s primary objective. He described US military bases across the region as “liabilities and relics of the past,” contending that their presence fuels tensions rather than deters conflict.

He called for the withdrawal of US troops, bases and naval forces from the region, saying such a move would remove what he described as Iran’s primary justification for targeting American forces and disrupting maritime traffic. Kent also proposed sanctions relief in exchange for guarantees of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, presenting the approach as a strategic policy shift rather than a retreat.

“The war has changed the region. Iran has emerged as a major regional power—the sooner we recognize this reality and adjust our posture accordingly, the stronger our position will be,” Kent said.

His remarks came after several US service members were killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan and Iraq, bringing the officially acknowledged US military death toll in the five-month conflict to 17, with more than 430 others wounded.

Since leaving government, Kent has consistently criticized the war with Iran, arguing that it serves “Israeli” interests rather than those of the United States and warning against another prolonged military intervention in the Middle East.