Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was confronted about Joe Kent’s assertion that President Donald Trump’s policy on Iran was “foisted” on him by Israel during a Thursday press conference.

Since his stunning resignation as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration’s war in Iran.

Among his criticisms, Kent has painted Israel as a strong influence in Trump’s decision to launch Operation Epic Fury, the military operation that began the conflict and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Throughout peace negotiations with Iran, the Trump administration has insisted that Iran end its nuclear ambitions by giving up uranium enrichment.

Kent has claimed that Trump got that policy from Israel.

In response to a reporter asking about Kent’s claim, Hegseth maintained that the zero-enrichment policy was not “foisted” on him, adding:

As someone who, unlike the individual you referenced, is in the presence of the president nearly every day and has been inside every single key meeting that has happened surrounding the idea of Operation Epic Fury, not a single thing has been foisted upon the President of the United States. President Trump makes his own decisions about the interests of this country and defending our interests, and then working with allies and partners — in this case Israel, who’s got a lot of will and a lot of capabilities which we’re grateful for. Nothing gets foisted on President Trump, so those people who are not in those meetings, who like to say things about that, are just flat wrong.

Watch above via Fox News

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