Joseph Kent, the pinnacle of the United States’ National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned from his place over the US-Israel battle towards Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent mentioned that Iran posed no “imminent threat” to the US and that Israeli stress pushed Trump to begin the battle.
Kent wrote that he “cannot in good conscience” again the Trump administration’s battle in Iran. He is the primary main Trump administration official who resigned due to the battle 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 a lot reflection, I’ve determined to resign from my place as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, efficient in the present day.
I can not in good conscience assist the continuing battle in Iran. Iran posed no imminent menace to our nation, and it’s clear that we began this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
In his letter, he claimed that Trump knew till June 2025 that the wars within the Middle East solely robbed the US of lives and exhausted the nation’s wealth. He mentioned that senior Israeli officers and “influential members” of the US media, by a “misinformation campaign”, promoted pro-war rhetoric in a deliberate bid to encourage battle 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 a right away menace to the US, that he ought to assault the Islamic Republic and that victory could possibly be fast and clear.
Kent additionally drew parallels between the present battle and the 2003 Iraq War, alleging a sample of deception. Kent acknowledged that Israeli officers used a “misinformation campaign” to attract the US into the “disastrous Iraq war” and had been now utilizing the identical techniques to push for battle with Iran.
He urged Trump to rethink his determination to assist the battle and mentioned that he can both pave a brand new method ahead for the US or push the nation additional 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 fight veteran with 11 deployments and a Gold Star husband, Kent emphasised that he couldn’t assist sending a brand new era to die in what he termed a “war manufactured by Israel” that gives “no benefit to the American people”.
Joseph Kent and US President Donald Trump
About Joseph Kent
As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent was in command of an company tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his submit final July on a 52-44 vote.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent’s affirmation, pointing to his previous ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional marketing campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right navy group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He additionally labored carefully with Joey Gibson, the founding father of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted assist from a wide range of far-right figures.
During his Senate affirmation listening to, Kent additionally refused to distance himself from a conspiracy principle that federal brokers instigated the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, in addition to false claims that Trump, a Republican, gained the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
(With inputs from businesses)
