Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, citing Israeli pressure and 'misinformation'

2026-03-17 - 23:39

The director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned Tuesday, citing his opposition to the ongoing US war in Iran. "I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran," Kent wrote in a letter shared on X. He argued that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US and claimed the conflict was primarily driven by pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. Personal sacrifice cited Kent, a veteran who said he deployed to combat 11 times, also referenced personal loss, describing himself as a "Gold Star husband" whose wife was killed in a previous war. "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," he wrote. Iraq war parallels He further criticized Israeli officials and some American media figures, accusing them of misleading the administration and drawing parallels with the Iraq war. "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 you should strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory," he said. "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," he added. Appeal to Trump Addressing US President Donald Trump directly, Kent urged him to change course. "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." Trump dismisses criticism Asked about Kent's resignation, Trump told reporters at the White House that he had seen the statement but said: "I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security." "I didn't know him well, but I thought he seemed like a pretty nice guy. When I read his statement, I realized that it's a good thing that he's out," he said, pointing to Kent's comments about Iran not being a threat to the US. "Every country realized what a threat Iran was," Trump added. White House defense The White House quickly went on the defensive, accusing Kent of spreading "false claims" in his letter. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on X: "President Trump ultimately made the determination that a joint attack with Israel would greatly reduce the risk to American lives that would come from a first strike by the terrorist Iranian regime and address this imminent threat to America's national security interests." She added that "the Commander-in-Chief determines what does and does not constitute a threat, because he is the one constitutionally empowered to do so." Leavitt rebuffed Kent's suggestion that Israel pressured Trump into going to war, calling the suggestion "insulting and laughable." Resignation meeting According to The Washington Post, Kent met with Vice President JD Vance at the White House a day before resigning. He presented his resignation letter during the meeting, while Vance urged him to consult Trump and remain "respectful to POTUS." A spokesman for Vance said the vice president "believes that it's imperative for the national security team to remain cohesive, trust one another, and avoid mouthing off to the media about internal deliberations." Conflict context The US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing over 1,300 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The war has expanded to include a ground offensive in Lebanon displacing over one million people, with no end in sight despite Trump's claims of imminent conclusion.