National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent has resigned, citing opposition to the US military operation in Iran. In a letter posted to X, the 45-year-old special forces and CIA veteran stated Iran poses "no imminent threat" to the United States.
Kent accused the Trump administration of launching the war under pressure from Israel and its American lobby. He alleged high-ranking Israeli officials and influential US journalists spread misinformation that misled the president and undermined his "America First" platform.
Kent, whose wife Shannon Kent-a Navy cryptologic technician-was killed in a 2019 Syria bombing, said he cannot support sending another generation to die in a war that serves no American interest or justifies the loss of life.
His resignation marks the most high-profile internal critique of the Iran operation to date.