Joe Kent, director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), has resigned, declaring he cannot support the ongoing war against Iran. In a social media post, Kent said his conscience prevents him from backing the conflict. He was appointed to the position in July of the previous year.

In his resignation letter to President Trump, Kent wrote that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and claimed the war began under pressure from Israel and its American lobby. He reaffirmed his support for Trump’s earlier foreign policy principles, noting that by June 2025, Trump himself had recognized Middle Eastern wars as traps that cost American lives and resources.

Kent, a veteran who served in 11 wars, said he lost his wife Shannon in a conflict he described as created by Israel. He stated he could not support sending future generations to fight and die in a war that brings no benefit to the American people and cannot be justified even by sacrifice.