WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday in protest of the U.S. war in Iran, becoming the first senior official to publicly break with the White House over the conflict.
In his resignation letter, Kent said he “cannot in good conscience” support the war, arguing that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States and suggesting that the conflict was driven in part by pressure from Israel.
Kent, a former Army veteran and intelligence official, had been a close ally of the administration but sharply criticized its justification for the war, which is now entering its third week. His departure highlights growing divisions within national security circles and among some conservative figures over U.S. involvement in the conflict.
The White House rejected Kent’s claims. Donald Trump dismissed him as “weak on security” and maintained that Iran posed a significant threat, defending the military campaign.
Kent also alleged that Israeli officials provided misleading information about the ease of victory, deepening tensions around the U.S.-Israel role in the war.
His resignation underscores a broader debate in Washington over the direction of U.S. foreign policy and the administration’s break from its earlier “America First” stance against prolonged overseas conflicts.