A senior intelligence official in the Trump administration resigned abruptly on Tuesday, citing his opposition to the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran and raising questions about the justification for the conflict. Joe Kent, who had been serving as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation in a letter posted online. “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” Kent wrote. He added that he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” arguing that Tehran posed no imminent threat to the United States.
Kent further claimed that the conflict was initiated under pressure from Israel and its allies in Washington, a charge that is likely to intensify political debate over the administration’s decision-making.
“It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC,” he concluded, referring to President Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Kent, a longtime supporter of Trump, is the first high-profile official to step down during the president’s second term over a major policy disagreement, underscoring divisions within national security circles.
His resignation comes as lawmakers and analysts increasingly question the intelligence used to justify the strikes on Iran. While Trump initially defended the operation by citing an “imminent threat” to U.S. forces, that claim has been complicated by Pentagon briefings to Congress indicating that Iran was not planning an attack unless provoked.
In his letter, Kent pointed to what he described as a shift in the administration’s approach compared to Trump’s earlier stance against prolonged Middle East conflicts. He referenced Operation Midnight Hammer, a series of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, and argued that the president had previously favored limited, targeted uses of force.
Kent also cited the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani as an example of what he viewed as a more restrained strategy.
He warned that intelligence assessments may have been distorted by external influence, alleging that Israeli officials and media narratives contributed to an “echo chamber” that overstated the immediacy of the threat.
“This was a lie,” Kent wrote, drawing a parallel to the lead-up to the Iraq War, which he described as a costly mistake the United States should not repeat.
Kent’s departure leaves a significant gap at the National Counterterrorism Center, an agency tasked with coordinating intelligence on terrorist organizations, transnational criminal networks, and other global threats.
Before taking the role, Kent served as a senior aide to Gabbard and built a long career in national security. He completed 11 combat deployments during 20 years in the U.S. Army before transitioning to the CIA. He is also a Gold Star spouse; his first wife, Shannon Kent, a Navy cryptologist, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria.
The administration’s rationale for the strikes has evolved in recent weeks, with Trump citing multiple factors, including protecting Iranian protesters, countering Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and responding to its long-standing support for militant groups targeting Americans.
Despite those justifications, senior officials have maintained that the objective of the campaign is not regime change, even as the president has publicly encouraged the Iranian people to challenge their government.
Kent’s resignation is likely to intensify scrutiny in Congress and among U.S. allies, as debates continue over the intelligence, strategy, and potential consequences of the conflict.
