New Delhi: The director of the US National Counterterrorism Centre, Joseph ‘Joe’ Kent, resigned on Tuesday. His departure marks the first high-profile exit in protest of President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran.
In his letter, he clearly stated that the United States started the war under pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. He said that Iran posed no imminent threat to the nation.
Kent letter to Donald Trump
Joe Kent wrote in his letter that he supported the values and the foreign policies that Trump campaigned on in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He added that until June 2025, Trump understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap and were just robbing America.
He appreciated Trump for his military understanding during his first tenure by killing Wasam Solamani and defeating ISIS.
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. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
‘Misinformation campaign’
Kent noted in his letter that the high-ranking Israeli officials and influential American media members deceived Trump into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and it was the right time to strike for a swift victory.
He added, “This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.”
Who is Joe Kent?
As per the NCTC website, Joseph Kent served in the US Army for 20 years, where he completed 11 combat deployments in high-threat regions. He retired from the Army in 2018, and since then, he has been serving as a paramilitary officer in the CIA’s Special Activist Centre and eventually entered public life.
In 2019, he lost his wife, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, who was serving in Syria. The profile notes that he is an Oregon native and a graduate from Norwich University in Strategic Defence. Currently, he lives with his second wife, Heather, who is a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and their two sons.
In his letter, he also pointed out his deployment to combat 11 times and losing his wife in a war started by Israel. He calls out for bold action and reverse course to chart a new path for the nation, or just allow the country to slip further toward decline and chaos.