The head of the United States' Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, has resigned from his post effective today, saying he could not in "good conscience" support the ongoing war in Iran.
Kent has said that Iran posed no imminent threat to "our nation", and it was clear that the United States started this war due to "pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."
The United States and Israel have waged a war on Iran, starting on Feb. 28, 2026. They have launched airstrikes into Iran, killing hundreds of people, including the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolgirls.
Kent took to X today and announced that he was resigning from his post, after thoughtful consideration.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
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
Also Read: Iran War Will Be Wrapped Up Soon, Says Trump As Gulf Conflict Intensify
"After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position," Kent wrote on X, adding that, "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," he wrote in his post. He said that it has been an honour serving under President Donald Trump.
He also posted his resignation letter, addressed to President Trump, along with the post on X.
The entire text of his resignation letter:
President Trump,
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, 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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, and 2024, which you enacted in your first term. Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.
In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and by defeating ISIS.
Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran. This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that, should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.
As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.
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.
It was an honour to serve in your administration and to serve our great nation.
Joseph Kent
Director National Counterterrorism Centre
Also Read: US-Israel-Iran War News Updates: Hezbollah Claims Firing Rockets At Israeli Soldiers In Lebanon
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
