His resignation came amid the ongoing conflict in Iran, a key part of Trump’s aggressive strategy toward Tehran. Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into Kent over alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified information.

In his first interview since leaving office, Kent rejected reports that Iran was planning a large-scale attack on the United States similar to the 9/11 attacks or the attack on Pearl Harbor.Kent said on the Tucker Carlson Podcast, “There was no intelligence that said, Hey, whatever day it is, on March 1, the Iranians are going to launch this big covert attack, they’re going to do some kind of attack like 9/11, Pearl Harbor, etc. They’re going to attack one of our bases. There was no such intelligence.”His comments contrast with repeated statements by Trump and the White House, which cited an “imminent threat” from Iran as justification for launching the strikes.

Joe Kent further argued that Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes last month, was controlling the country’s nuclear program.“I’m not a fan of the former supreme leader, you know, Ali Khamenei, though, he was controlling their nuclear program. He was preventing them from getting nuclear weapons,” he said, warning, “If you take them out, if you take them out aggressively, people are going to rally around that regime.”Asked by Tucker Carlson whether Iran was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons, Kent responded, “No, they were not,” adding that Iran’s strategy was “not to completely abandon the nuclear program.”

Kent also claimed that Israel had effectively drawn the United States into the conflict and was exerting widespread influence over American policy in the Middle East.He referred to comments from Marco Rubio, who previously argued that Iran is an imminent threat because the US believes Israel is preparing to attack and that Iran would retaliate. Kent called this argument flawed, saying there was no indication that Iran would attack without provocation.“So, the imminent threat that the Secretary of State is describing is not from Iran. It’s from Israel,” Carlson asked.“Sure,” Kent replied. “And I think it speaks to the broader issue: who is in charge of our policy in the Middle East.”Resignation and FBI investigationKent, who has previously faced criticism for his alleged ties to far-right figures including white nationalists and Nazi sympathizers, focused heavily on Israel in his resignation letter. Some Republicans have accused him of promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.Meanwhile, the FBI has opened an investigation into Kent over alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified information, according to a person familiar with the matter. The inquiry has been ongoing for several months and continues after Kent announced his resignation on Tuesday in protest of the US war with Iran.In his resignation letter posted on Twitter, Kent said he “cannot support sending the next generation to fight and die in a war that will provide no benefit to the American people.” He argued that Iran posed no imminent threat and accused Israel of misleading the administration into the conflict that began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28.

Speaking in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump rejected Kent’s assessment and said he had long disagreed with his views. Trump reiterated that Iran “was a threat” and said it was “a good thing” that Kent left office.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s recent message to party leaders to “dance together”, Tharoor described it as a “good message”, saying unity within the alliance is now visible. He also expressed confidence about the UDF’s prospects and suggested that a strong result would result in between 85 and 100 seats in the 140-member assembly.

Using a cricket analogy, Tharoor said the UDF was throwing a “googly” to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), arguing that the ruling coalition was on a “sticky wicket”. While he acknowledged that modern elections revolve around projecting a chief ministerial face, he supported the traditional approach of the Congress. “The Congress has never done this,” he said, explaining that the leadership prefers to choose a leader in consultation with MLAs after victory.Tharoor also admitted that the lack of a clear face could cause harm. “You and I may have different viewpoints… having a situation where you don’t have a visible leader in the state will inevitably hurt you,” he said. However, he argued that the organizational strength of the Congress throughout Kerala allows it to campaign “around one agenda, one mission and party logo”.Tharoor also downplayed the role of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala, calling it a marginal player. “It is not a triangular contest because the BJP is a party with zero seats in the assembly,” he said, adding that even a gain of “one or two or three” seats would be seen as a major success for the party.He stressed that the real contest is between the UDF and the LDF led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. While he said the polling indicated a tight contest, he added that the BJP “is also unlikely to have enough of a footprint to become the kingmaker”.Kerala will go to polls in a single phase on April 9 in a closely monitored battle to oust the current LDF government from power, with counting taking place on May 4.

US President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the attack, saying “the United States knew nothing about it,” and denied any involvement. However, according to AP reports, Washington was informed in advance of Israel’s plan to target the offshore gas facility, but did not take part in the operation.

“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was not involved in it in any way, shape, or form, nor did it have any idea that it was about to happen,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Since launching a large-scale military campaign on February 28, Iran has expanded its retaliation beyond military targets to include oil and gas infrastructure across the region, raising global concerns given the Gulf’s importance to energy supplies.Watch: Iran’s missile hits Qatar’s Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG hubThe attack on South Parc is the first time in this conflict that a major fossil fuel production facility has been directly targeted.

What has been targeted in recent days?

On Tuesday, an Iranian drone attack led to the suspension of operations at the Shah gas field in Abu Dhabi. The site produces about 1.28 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day and supplies about 20 percent of the UAE’s gas and 5 percent of the world’s granular sulfur used in fertilizers.On Wednesday, Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field. The field is the largest in the world and is the backbone of Iran’s energy system.

Why does the South Park strike matter?

The South Pars gas field, the largest known in the world, covers approximately 9,700 square kilometers in the Persian Gulf.The damage to South Pars could worsen Iran’s already severe energy shortage. The field contributes up to 70 percent of Iran’s gas production. Initial reports suggest that sections contributing about 12 per cent of total production may have been affected.The attack has also raised fears of wider tensions, with both sides now targeting critical energy infrastructure. Experts have warned that such attacks could have long-term consequences for global energy markets.Oil prices have already risen on concerns of supply disruptions following the strike. Analysts say if production facilities suffer major damage, recovery could take years.According to Guinness World Records, it is estimated to contain approximately 51 trillion cubic meters of gas.Oil prices have already surged following news of the strike, with Brent crude rising more than 5 percent to more than $110 a barrel.The field is shared by Iran and Qatar, with the Qatari side first exploring it in 1971.The attack is also the first reported attack on Iran’s main energy infrastructure.

How is the sector responding?

Iran has warned of further retaliation and listed major oil and gas sites in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as potential targets. An explosion was later reported in Riyadh.Qatar blamed Israel for the attack, calling it a “dangerous and irresponsible” escalation that threatens global energy security. The UAE also warned that the attack threatened both regional stability and global energy supplies.

Why can’t the repairs be done quickly?

Once damage occurs, repair is never easy and the consequences can be lengthy and devastating. Despite its scale and importance, the key question still remains: can the South Pars gas field be repaired quickly?