Joseph Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), has resigned in protest over America’s involvement in the ongoing conflict with Iran
The resignation comes weeks after Israel carried out what it described as pre-emptive missile strikes on Iran on February 28, with President Donald Trump confirming the strikes were conducted in collaboration with the United States. Since then, Iran and the US-Israel alliance have engaged in a series of retaliatory attacks.
The NCTC is the primary US government agency responsible for integrating and analyzing terrorism-related intelligence across federal bodies. In a statement on Tuesday, Kent said he made the decision to step down after careful reflection.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent said.
He criticized the rationale for the conflict, asserting that Iran posed no immediate threat to the United States and that the war was largely influenced by pressure from Israel and its American lobby. Kent referenced past successes under Trump, including the killing of Qasem Soleimani and the defeat of ISIS, as examples of decisive military action without dragging the nation into prolonged wars.
“Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran,” Kent wrote.
“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.”
Kent, a veteran deployed 11 times, also shared personal reasons for his resignation, revealing that he lost his wife in a war he says was instigated by Israel.
“I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives,” he said, urging the president to reconsider the US’ actions in Iran and question “who we are doing it for.”
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