'Cannot Support The War In Iran': Joe Kent Resigns As US Counterterrorism Chief

Kent argued that Tehran had not presented an imminent threat to the US and suggested the decision to go to war had been influenced by pressure from Israel and pro-war voices within Washington.

Kent added that the time had come for decisive action to avoid another prolonged war.

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• National Counterterrorism Center Director resigns over Iran war.
• Director cites no imminent threat, Israeli influence in decision.
• Warns of another prolonged Middle East conflict.

Joe Kent, director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned from his post, saying he cannot support the ongoing war in Iran and claiming the conflict began under pressure from Israel and its allies. In a resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump, Kent said Iran posed no immediate threat to the United States and warned that the war risked dragging the country into another prolonged Middle East conflict. The letter, circulating online, comes as the US-Israel war on Iran enters its third week with tensions continuing to escalate across the region.

Resignation Over Iran War

In the letter, Joe Kent said he had decided to step down with immediate effect, writing that he could not in good conscience support the current military campaign against Iran. He argued that Tehran had not presented an imminent threat to the United States and suggested the decision to go to war had been influenced by pressure from Israel and pro-war voices within Washington.

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… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr

— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026

Kent wrote that he had supported the foreign policy positions Donald Trump campaigned on, particularly the promise to avoid long and costly wars in the Middle East. He warned that the present conflict risked repeating mistakes made in earlier interventions, saying the United States had previously been drawn into wars based on claims of urgent threats that later proved misleading.

He also referred to the loss of American lives in past conflicts, saying he could not support sending another generation of soldiers to fight in a war that did not serve the interests of the American people.

Warning Against Another Long Conflict

The outgoing counterterrorism chief urged the president to reconsider the current course, saying the United States still had the opportunity to change direction. He wrote that continuing the war could lead to further loss of life and deepen instability across the Middle East.

Kent said the country faced a choice between reversing course or allowing the conflict to push the United States into what he described as decline and chaos. He added that the time had come for decisive action to avoid another prolonged war.

His resignation comes at a sensitive moment, with the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran now in its third week, casualties rising on all sides, and growing international concern about the risk of a wider regional escalation.

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