Washington – Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran and accusing Israel of influencing the Trump administration’s decision to go to war.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote in a social media post. “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, the highest-ranking Trump administration official to quit over the conflict, criticized pro-war messaging and alleged misinformation campaigns that, he said, pressured the U.S. into military action. He compared the push to attack Iran to the lead-up to the Iraq War in 2003.
A combat veteran and Gold Star husband—his wife Shannon was killed in Syria—Kent emphasized that sending U.S. troops to fight in Iran would serve no benefit to Americans and would risk unnecessary lives.
Reactions to Kent’s resignation were sharply divided. Trump ally Tucker Carlson praised him as “the bravest man I know,” while other Republicans, including Representative Don Bacon, criticized his remarks as anti-Semitic. Senator Mark Warner acknowledged Kent’s concerns about the lack of an imminent threat from Iran but also called his record politicized.
Kent’s departure highlights tensions within Trump’s coalition over the Iran war, with some officials like Vice President JD Vance expressing reservations, while the president has insisted that the conflict is central to his MAGA agenda.
Kent is expected to remain a prominent voice on foreign policy debates, and his resignation may be scrutinized during upcoming congressional hearings on national security threats.
This comes amid broader dissent within the administration, including the resignation of Sameerah Munshi from the White House Religious Liberty Commission, who cited opposition to U.S.-Israel military actions as a key reason for stepping down.
Kent’s resignation underscores the growing rifts inside the U.S. government over the strategy, justification, and consequences of the Iran war.
