Top US Counterterrorism Official Resigns Over War With Iran

National Counterterrorism Director Joe Kent announced on Tuesday that he was resigning from the Trump administration over the US-Israeli war against Iran, saying he could not “in good conscience” support the conflict.

“After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” Kent said in his resignation letter to President Trump, which he posted on X.

“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 said.

Kent’s comments about Iran not posing an “imminent threat” are significant since he was a high-level intelligence official and had access to the information that the US government had at the time before the US and Israel launched the war. He went on to criticize the influence of Israel and its supporters over Trump’s decision and US foreign policy in general.