Joseph Kent, the head of the United States’ National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned from his position over the US-Israel war against Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent said that Iran posed no “imminent threat” to the US and that Israeli pressure pushed Trump to start the war.
Kent wrote that he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war in Iran. He is the first major Trump administration official who resigned because of the war in Iran.
“Iran Posed No Imminent Threat To Our Nation”
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent wrote.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
In his letter, he claimed that Trump knew until June 2025 that the wars in the Middle East only robbed the US of lives and exhausted the nation’s wealth. He said that senior Israeli officials and “influential members” of the US media, through a “misinformation campaign”, promoted pro-war rhetoric in a deliberate bid to encourage war with Iran.
‘Trump Was Misled By Israeli Officials And US Media’
Kent asserted that an “echo chamber” was used to mislead the 79-year-old president into believing that Iran constituted an immediate threat to the US, that he should attack the Islamic Republic and that victory could be quick and clear.
Kent also drew parallels between the current conflict and the 2003 Iraq War, alleging a pattern of deception. Kent stated that Israeli officials used a “misinformation campaign” to draw the US into the “disastrous Iraq war” and were now using the same tactics to push for war with Iran.
He urged Trump to rethink his decision to support the war and said that he can either pave a new way forward for the US or push the nation further into chaos.
“I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards,” he wrote.
“War Manufactured By Israel”
As a combat veteran with 11 deployments and a Gold Star husband, Kent emphasised that he could not support sending a new generation to die in what he termed a “war manufactured by Israel” that provides “no benefit to the American people”.
The war has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, more than 880 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. The US military says 13 US service members have been killed and about 200 wounded.
Joseph Kent and US President Donald Trump
About Joseph Kent
As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent’s confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
(With inputs from agencies)
