Washington DC, March 17
The Director of the United States' National Counterterrorism Center, Joseph Kent, on Tuesday, resigned from his post in protest against the ongoing war with Iran, asserting that Tehran did not present an imminent threat to the United States and strongly criticising the rationale for military action.
In his resignation letter to US President Donald Trump, Kent called the conflict with Iran unjustified, contending that Washington entered the war due primarily to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby rather than clear, direct threats to national security.
Kent, in his letter, further stated that he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran" and lamented a departure from what he described as the America First foreign policy pursued by Trump in earlier terms and drew parallels with past conflicts in the Middle East.
"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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," his letter read.
"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," it added.
Kent's decision marks a rare and high-profile departure from within the US counterterrorism establishment at a time of intense debate over the objectives and justification for the conflict in Iran.
"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," his letter read.
This development comes amid the escalating conflict that began on February 28 with the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability.
Due to the conflict in the region, Iran has virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for global energy supply.
Following the death of Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the former leader, was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
A decorated military veteran with multiple combat deployments and deep experience in national security roles, Kent's resignation underscores internal opposition to the Trump administration's strategic direction as the conflict continues.
"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," his letter added.
- ANI
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