The U.S. Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Joseph Kent, has resigned with immediate effect, according to a letter addressed to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, in which he sharply criticizes Washington’s reported military campaign against Iran.
In the letter, Kent says he “cannot in good conscience” support what he describes as an unnecessary conflict, asserting that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. He further claims the war was driven by pressure from Israel and influential pro-Israel groups in America — allegations likely to fuel political controversy in Washington and beyond.
Kent, a veteran of multiple combat deployments, praised Trump’s earlier foreign policy posture, arguing that the president had previously avoided prolonged Middle East entanglements while still projecting decisive military power. He cited the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and the defeat of ISIS as examples of limited operations that did not escalate into full-scale wars.
However, the outgoing counterterrorism chief warned that misinformation and pro-war narratives had allegedly pushed the administration toward a broader confrontation with Tehran, drawing parallels to the Iraq War. He cautioned that such a conflict could cost American lives without delivering clear national benefits.
Kent also invoked personal loss, identifying himself as a Gold Star spouse whose wife died in a previous war, saying he could not support sending another generation into combat “that serves no benefit to the American people.” In closing, he urged Trump to reconsider the course of action in Iran, saying the president still had the power to reverse it.
The resignation of a sitting NCTC director over policy differences is rare and underscores deep divisions within U.S. national security circles if the claims in the letter reflect ongoing operations. The White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had not immediately issued a public response at the time of reporting.
