US National counterterrorism center director Joseph Kent said that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States and that the war was started due to the “pressure” from Israel.
Joe Kent resigns over war with Iran
Washington: The director of the United States' National Counterterrorism Center, Joseph Kent, announced on Tuesday that he has resigned owing the ongoing war with Iran.
"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 in a letter addressed to the United States President Donald Trump which he also postes on X.
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
He further said that Donald Trump had, until June 2025, acknowledged that prolonged conflicts in the Middle East were draining American lives and resources.
Kent also alleged that senior Israeli officials and sections of the US media promoted pro-war narratives through what he described as a “misinformation campaign” aimed at pushing Washington towards a confrontation with Iran.
Kent asked the administration to reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for.
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, the letter added.
