Top Counterterrorism Official Resigns Over Iran War

Joe Kent says Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and that the current armed conflict is due to pressure from Israel.

Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, speaks during a congressional debate at KATU studios in in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 7, 2024. Jenny Kane/AP Photo

Joe Kent announced his resignation as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center on March 17, following disagreement with President Donald Trump’s decision to enter armed conflict with Iran.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent stated in his resignation letter to the president.