Former US counterterrorism chief Joe Kent has warned that if Trump acts on his threats to destroy Iranian “civilisation”, Washington will no longer be viewed as a stabilising force but an “agent of chaos — effectively ending our status as the world’s greatest superpower”.

“This would upend our economy and shatter the global order,” Kent says on X.

“The process is already underway, yet we still have time to avert catastrophe if Trump finds the courage to pursue serious negotiations rather than reckless rage and destruction.”