The Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, has resigned from his position in protest over the United States’ ongoing war with Iran.
Kent announced his resignation on Tuesday (17 March 2026), stating that he could not in good conscience support the conflict under the administration of Donald Trump.
In a resignation letter addressed to the president, Kent argued that Iran posed no immediate threat to the United States and questioned the basis for the war.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,” he stated.
He further alleged that the decision to go to war was influenced by external pressure.
“It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” he added.
Kent, a former Green Beret and longtime counterterrorism official, also warned that the conflict risks repeating past US foreign policy mistakes in the Middle East.
He suggested that misinformation and pro-war narratives had shaped the administration’s decision-making, drawing parallels with the lead-up to the Iraq war.
The outgoing director maintained that earlier US foreign policy had focused on avoiding prolonged conflicts, but said the current approach marks a departure from that strategy.
Kent’s resignation makes him the first senior official known to have stepped down in direct opposition to the Iran war, highlighting internal divisions within the administration over the conflict.
The National Counterterrorism Center is a key US intelligence body responsible for analysing and coordinating responses to terrorism threats, both domestically and internationally.
His departure comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East and growing scrutiny over the justification and potential consequences of the war.
Read the attached resignation letter below:
