US official urges Washington to accept Iran as key regional power

In a post published on social media platform X on Sunday, Joseph Kent, the former director of the US National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), said the war of aggression against the Islamic Republic has fundamentally changed the balance of power in West Asia. He urged the US to adapt its strategy instead of pursuing further assaults on Iran.

"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," he wrote. Kent argued that airstrikes have failed to achieve Washington's objectives, while any ground invasion would become "a strategic disaster," causing heavy American casualties and further destabilizing the region.

He also said the assassination of the former Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, backfired by strengthening national unity inside Iran, with many Iranians rallying behind the government and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) instead of turning against them.

Kent called for ending the aggression, saying Washington should restore the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz by withdrawing US troops, military bases, and naval forces from the region. He added that many American bases have become strategic liabilities rather than assets, and their withdrawal would remove Iran's main justification for targeting US military installations and disrupting shipping through the strategic waterway.

Once tensions are reduced, Kent suggested, Washington could pursue diplomacy by offering sanctions relief in exchange for guarantees of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Kent resigned as director of the NCTC on March 17, 2026, saying he could no longer support the war against Iran in good conscience. According to Mehr News, his remarks reflect growing dissent within US security circles regarding the ongoing conflict.