A senior US counterterrorism official has resigned in protest over the Trump administration’s handling of the war with Iran, becoming the most senior person to break ranks amid rising tensions in the Middle East.National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Joseph “Joe” Kent announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from his role, saying he can no longer support a conflict he believes is neither appropriate nor necessary. Kent was appointed to the post by US President Donald Trump in July 2025. He said in a resignation letter posted on his social media account that Iran posed “no imminent threat to our nation.”
He said that the United States had entered the war under pressure from “Israel and its powerful American lobby”.The National Counterterrorism Center is the U.S. government’s central hub for analyzing and integrating intelligence related to terrorist threats. As its director, Kent was responsible for coordinating the data and assessments that are meant to inform national security decisions. His departure therefore raises questions about internal disagreements and the importance given to intelligence assessments in the decision to engage militarily with Iran.Kent is a former U.S. Army Warrant Officer and Green Beret with 20 years of military service, including eleven combat deployments. After retiring from the army, he served as a paramilitary officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He later entered politics, running unsuccessfully for Congress in Washington State in 2022 and again in 2024.The war between the United States and Iran began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched major airstrikes on Iran, targeting military sites and killing senior Iranian leaders, and Iran responded with missiles and drones against the US. and allied forces in the area.Republicans and the MAGA base claim that Iranian actions threaten US assets and allies in the Middle East, while most Democrats argue that there is no clear evidence of an immediate attack on US interests.In his statements, Kent said he “cannot in good conscience support an ongoing war in Iran,” and reiterated his view that verified threat assessments in the conflict lack a solid basis.