The director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, nominated by Donald Trump, announced his resignation because he cannot support a war with Iran.
On 17 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, announced via social media his resignation, stating he cannot genuinely support a war with Iran as the right course of action.
In his resignation letter to President Donald Trump, Kent stated, “Iran is not an immediate threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and influential Israeli lobby groups in America.”
“I supported the values and foreign policies you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, and 2024, which you implemented during your first term,” Kent said. “Until June 2025, you understood that war in the Middle East is a trap that costs the lives of patriotic Americans and drains our nation’s wealth and prosperity.”
In June 2025, the US engaged in a 12-day war between Israel and Iran, dropping bunker-buster bombs to destroy three underground Iranian nuclear facilities. Donald Trump claimed this was to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat.
Kent added, “As a veteran who has fought in 11 conflicts and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war created by Israel, I cannot support sending future generations to fight and die in a war that offers no benefit to Americans and is not worth the cost of American lives.”
Donald Trump selected Kent for the position of director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, and the Senate confirmed his appointment in July 2025.
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Source:bbc