“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Trump’s director of counterterrorism Kent quits

Joseph Kent, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday in protest against the United States’ ongoing military operation in Iran, declaring that he could not support what he described as an unnecessary war.

In a public statement posted on X, Kent wrote: “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”

He went on to assert that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,” and accused the conflict’s origins of being driven by “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

In a formal resignation letter directed to President Donald Trump, Kent argued that the current campaign marked a significant departure from the administration’s earlier stated goal of avoiding prolonged Middle East conflicts. He recalled Trump’s first term, citing the 2020 strike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani as an example of targeted, limited action that did not spiral into extended warfare.

Kent claimed that before the launch of Operation Epic Fury—the designation for the present series of U.S. strikes on Iranian targets—a coordinated “misinformation campaign” by high-ranking Israeli officials and aligned media voices had created a false narrative of imminent danger.

“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 swift victory,” he wrote.

As head of the NCTC, Kent reported directly to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, one of the highest-ranking intelligence positions in the government. Gabbard, long critical of interventionist policies and regime-change efforts, has made no public comments on the Iran conflict since it began. Her office did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding Kent’s resignation.

A combat veteran with 11 deployments—including service as both an Army Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer—Kent also drew on personal tragedy in his statement. His wife, Shannon Kent, a Navy intelligence specialist, was killed in a 2019 ISIS suicide bombing in Syria.

“As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people or justifies the cost of American lives,” he posted on X.

Operation Epic Fury, now entering its third week, has involved continuous U.S. and allied airstrikes and missile exchanges, met with Iranian counterstrikes targeting American forces, Israel, and several Gulf nations. While the administration initially projected a four-to-six-week duration, officials have privately acknowledged that the timeline may extend significantly given Iran’s sustained resistance and rising regional volatility.

The White House did not immediately issue a response to Kent’s departure. Former Trump deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich, who left the administration in September 2025, posted on X calling the resignation insincere and suggesting Kent was preempting dismissal.

House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back strongly, telling reporters: “I got all the briefings. We all understood there was clearly an imminent threat—that Iran was very close to the enrichment of nuclear capability, and they were building missiles at a pace that no one in the region could keep up with.”

Kent’s confirmation hearing in 2025 had drawn intense scrutiny from Democrats, who raised concerns about his past political rhetoric, associations linked to January 6 events, and election-related statements during two unsuccessful congressional campaigns in Washington state. Supporters, however, highlighted his extensive operational experience in counterterrorism and special operations.