Top U.S. Counterterrorism Official Resigns Over Iran Policy
Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), abruptly resigned Tuesday, citing opposition to the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran and questioning the rationale for the conflict.
In a letter posted online, Kent wrote, “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.” He added he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” arguing Tehran posed no imminent threat to the United States.
Kent also claimed the conflict was influenced by pressure from Israel and its allies in Washington, a statement likely to fuel political debate over the administration’s decision-making. “It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC,” he wrote, referring to President Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
A longtime Trump supporter, Kent is the first high-profile official to resign during the president’s second term over a major policy disagreement, highlighting divisions within national security circles.
He criticized intelligence assessments he said were distorted by external influence, alleging Israeli officials and media exaggerated the threat, calling it “a lie” reminiscent of pre-Iraq War intelligence failures. Kent cited Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 and the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani as examples of strategies he viewed as restrained.
Kent’s resignation leaves a critical gap at the NCTC, responsible for coordinating intelligence on terrorist and transnational threats. Before the role, he served 20 years in the U.S. Army, completed 11 combat deployments, and worked at the CIA. He is also a Gold Star spouse; his first wife, Navy cryptologist Shannon Kent, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria.
His departure is expected to intensify congressional scrutiny and debate over U.S. strategy and the potential consequences of the conflict.
