Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has announced his resignation over his opposition to the war against Iran.
Kent, an Army veteran and two-time Republican congressional candidate, posted his resignation letter on X, writing: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”

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

“Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” added Kent, a key deputy to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.


