Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the United States, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing strong opposition to the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
In a letter addressed to US President Donald Trump, Kent said he could not support a war that, in his view, posed no immediate threat to American security. He claimed the conflict was initiated under pressure from Israel and influenced by powerful lobbying groups.
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Kent, a military veteran who served multiple combat deployments, also shared a deeply personal perspective. He lost his wife, Shannon, in a previous war and said that experience shaped his stance against sending more Americans into conflict. He described the current war as one that offers “no benefit” to the American people and does not justify the loss of lives.
Once a strong supporter of Trump, Kent had backed his foreign policies during the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential campaigns. However, he now urged the President to reconsider the current course. In his letter, Kent suggested that misinformation and an “echo chamber” of influential voices may have misled the administration into believing Iran posed an imminent threat.
He warned against repeating past mistakes, drawing parallels with the Iraq War, which resulted in significant loss of life and resources. Kent called on Trump to reflect on the situation and take decisive action to change direction.
Concluding his resignation, Kent said it had been an honour to serve the nation but stressed that the time had come to step aside on grounds of principle.
