The Director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, has resigned, stating that he cannot support the war against Iran, which, he claims, does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. security.
In his resignation letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump, Kent said he made the decision after “long reflection,” emphasizing that he can no longer “in good conscience” support Washington’s current policy toward Tehran.
“Iran did not pose an immediate threat to our country, and it is clear that this war was launched under pressure from Israel and its strong lobby in the United States,” Kent stated.
In the letter, he expressed support for the earlier foreign policy positions of the Trump administration, especially those that подразumevali avoiding prolonged military interventions in the Middle East. According to him, the previous policy was focused on decisive but limited use of force, without drawing the United States into “endless wars.”
Kent warned that the current strategy relies on a narrative reminiscent of the justifications used before the Iraq war, assessing that claims of a quick victory and an immediate threat are “misleading.”
He particularly emphasized that senior Israeli officials and part of the American media, as he claims, contributed to creating a pro-war atmosphere and a false perception of the threat from Iran.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
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
“We must not repeat the mistakes that have already cost us thousands of lives and enormous resources,” Kent stated.
In an emotional part of the letter, Kent also referred to personal experience, emphasizing that as a veteran with multiple combat deployments and as a husband whose wife was killed in war, he is particularly aware of the cost of wars which, as he states, do not benefit the American people.
His resignation comes at a time of intensifying conflict in the Middle East and increasingly pronounced divisions within the U.S. political and security apparatus.
Kent concluded by saying that “it has been an honor to serve the nation,” but also warned that the U.S. leadership faces a choice between changing course and further deepening the crisis.
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Source: NIN, Foto: Office of the Director of National Intelligence