Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard broke her silence Tuesday after her top aide Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned as he did not agree with President Donald Trump's war on Iran. As Tulsi Gabbard is also known for her anti-war stance, speculations were rife that she would also exit as she did not issue any statement on US war on Iran. But on Tuesday, Gabbard issued her first statement where she did not mention Joe Kent.
Read Tulsi Gabbard's full statement on Iran war
"Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to be our President and Commander in Chief. As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country.
"The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is responsible for helping coordinate and integrate all intelligence to provide the President and Commander in Chief with the best information available to inform his decisions.
"After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion."
Tulsi Gabbard's statement decimates Joe Kent's argument on 'imminent threat'
Joe Kent, in his letter to President Trump, said Iran posed no imminent threat to the US and that "we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby".
Gabbard, in her statement, said President Trump is responsible for determining whether a threat is imminent or not. On the point of Israeli pressure that Kent mentioned, Gabbard said Trump took the decision of attacking Iran after carefully reviewing all the information before him. And her department is responsible for providing the president with the best of information available.
