Joe Kent, one of the top US counterterrorism officials, has resigned, citing his country’s war against Iran.
On Tuesday, he published a copy of his resignation letter addressed to US President Donald Trump on social media platform X.
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“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote.
“Iran is not an immediate threat to our country, and it is clear that we started this war under pressure from Israel and its powerful US lobby.”
Until this week, Kent was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, a U.S. government agency responsible for coordinating and analyzing terrorism intelligence.
The resignation marks the highest-profile rebuke of the war effort from within the Trump administration to date.
Here’s what you need to know about Kent’s resignation and its aftermath.
Who is Joe Kent?
Mr Kent, 45, is a former political candidate who has come under intense scrutiny over his past ties to far-right activists.
He is a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who completed 11 combat deployments, including an expedition during the U.S.-led Iraq War.
His first wife, US Navy cryptographic engineer Shannon Kent, was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019. She left behind two children.
After retiring from the military, Kent worked as a paramilitary officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) before embarking on a political career.
He twice campaigned as a Republican representing Southwest Washington state in the United States Congress. However, he lost twice, in 2022 and 2024, to centrist Democrat Marie Grusenkampf Perez.
Mr. Trump supported Mr. Kemp in both campaigns, but Mr. Kemp has been dogged by controversies, including that he paid consulting fees to members of the far-right Proud Boys group.
How long did Kent serve in the Trump administration?
Kent had been director of the National Counterterrorism Center for less than eight months.
The Senate voted to confirm him in July by a 52-44 margin, with only Republican support.
Who were Kent’s entourage?
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was Kent’s boss during the Trump administration.
She was among the first to congratulate him on his confirmation in July, describing him as a “patriot” and highlighting his experience as a veteran.
“His experience serving as the tip of the spear in some of the world’s most dangerous battlefields has given him a deep and practical understanding of the persistent and evolving threat of Islamist terrorism,” she wrote.
Gabbard, Kent and Vice President J.D. Vance were seen as part of a faction within the Trump administration that was more skeptical of U.S. military intervention abroad.
Trump told reporters last week that Vance is “probably not very keen” on attacking Iran, but added: “We’re doing very well on this.”
In her Tuesday post, Gabbard emphasized her support for the Trump campaign in Iran and distanced herself from Kent’s resignation.
“Donald Trump was elected President and Commander-in-Chief by an overwhelming majority of the American people,” she wrote, without mentioning Kent by name.
“As our commander-in-chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an immediate threat.”
Why did Mr. Kent resign over the Iran war?
As a military veteran, Kent said he is concerned about the risk of another major war in the Middle East.
In his resignation letter, Kent explained that he supports Trump’s foreign policies during his last three presidential campaigns.
Kent noted that President Trump has promised to keep the United States out of “endless wars” like those waged in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Until June 2025, you understood that war in the Middle East was a trap that would deprive America of patriotic lives and drain the nation of its wealth and prosperity,” Kent wrote.
But Trump insisted he had been misunderstood about the Iranian threat. He accused members of the media, Israeli officials and lobbyists of encouraging President Trump to abandon his America First policy.
“This echo chamber was used to convince us that Iran was an imminent threat to the United States and that there was a clear path to a quick victory if we attacked it now,” Kent said.
“This is a lie, and it is the same tactic used by the Israelis to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that claimed the lives of thousands of our finest men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.”
Kent cited the loss of his wife, Shannon, in a U.S. combat operation in Syria as an example of that risk.
Could Kent’s resignation affect Trump’s Iran war policy?
Paul Kirk, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, said Kent’s resignation shows how Trump’s actions are “contrary to the advice of the government’s relevant military, intelligence and foreign affairs experts.”
But Kirk added that he was skeptical about how much influence Kent alone would have on Trump’s decision-making.
“Typically, the resignation of a high-level official, along with the obvious inconsistency of the president’s rationale for major decisions, would be a major blow to the president and his administration,” Quirk told Al Jazeera.
“If that happens, co-partisans in Congress will likely challenge the president’s decision and withdraw support or limit eligibility.”
But in this case, Kent’s resignation comes amid already intense criticism of the administration’s campaign in Iran.
“Mr. Kent’s statement is a substantial addition to the already mounting evidence that President Trump’s basis for attacking Iran was fictitious and that the war was started recklessly and without a plan,” Quirk said.
“Kent’s resignation could have a dramatic impact on support for Trump and the war, but that would be the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’.”
How will Kent’s resignation look to voters?
Analysts say Kent’s resignation is unlikely to change U.S. military strategy, but it could have political consequences.
There are less than eight months left until the all-important midterm elections. A backlash against President Trump’s policies could hurt fellow Republicans at the polls.
Al Jazeera correspondent Mike Hanna noted that Kent maintains a high profile within President Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) base.
Kent’s criticism of the president therefore could be the harbinger of widespread disillusionment among Trump supporters.
“Mr. Kent’s criticism of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran is very important because he is not your average Trump-appointed official,” Hanna said.
“He is a military veteran with several tours of duty in the Special Forces and has always been a huge supporter of Trump and the MAGA movement. Someone like this accusing Israel of influencing Trump into the war with false information is a very damning statement that could affect support for the president among some in the right-wing community.”
What is your reaction to Kent’s resignation?
Kent’s letter divided opinion among Republicans. Some supported his resignation as a matter of principle, while others accused him of being uninformed and disloyal to the president.
Kent received a sharp reaction from Trump himself, who mentioned his resignation during an appearance in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“I always thought he was a good person, but I thought he was weak when it came to national security,” Trump told reporters. “He said Iran is not a threat, so it’s good for him to leave.”
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt similarly dismissed Kent’s claims as “insulting and ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Kent’s assessment that Iran was not an imminent threat to the United States, calling it “patently wrong.” This was a similar rationale for Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
“Kent and his family have made tremendous sacrifices for our country, and we thank them for their service,” Cotton said in a statement. “But I do not agree with his incorrect assessment.”
But conservative media commentator Tucker Carlson praised Kent’s decision.
“Joe is the bravest man I know, and you can’t dismiss him as crazy,” Carlson said in an interview with The New York Times. “He’s leaving a job that gave him access to the highest levels of relevant information. The neocons will try to destroy him because of it.”
“He understood that and did it anyway,” he added.
Why was Kent accused of anti-Semitism?
Some critics highlighted parts of Kent’s letter that blamed Israel for President Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
They argued that such statements were anti-Semitic and painted Israeli leaders as malign forces responsible for manipulating Trump with lies.
Congressman Don Bacon, a former U.S. Air Force brigadier general and member of the House Armed Services Committee, is one of the critics who has taken up the argument.
“Anti-Semitism is an evil that I hate and I would never want it in our government,” Bacon wrote on social media following Kent’s resignation.
Democrat Josh Gottheimer similarly accused Kent of “scapegoating” Israel and engaging in “tired anti-Semitic tropes.”
“It is not leadership for Mr. Kent to reduce Iran to ‘Israel’s fault,'” he wrote. “That’s a bigoted deflection.”
What does the entire letter say?
After much consideration, 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. It is clear that Iran is not an immediate threat to our country and that our country started this war under pressure from Israel and its powerful US lobby.
I support the values and foreign policy you enacted during your first term and campaigned for in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Until June 2025, you understood that the war in the Middle East was a trap that would rob America of precious lives of patriots and drain the nation of its wealth and prosperity.
In your first administration, you understood better than any modern president how to use military force decisively without dragging us into endless wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qassam Solamani and defeating ISIS.
Early in this administration, Israeli officials and influential members of the American media waged a misinformation campaign that completely undermined the America First platform and instilled pro-war sentiment to encourage war with Iran. This echo chamber was used to make us believe that Iran was an imminent threat to the United States and that there was a clear path to a quick victory if we attacked it now. This is a lie, and it is the same tactic used by the Israelis to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that claimed the lives of thousands of our finest men and women. We cannot afford to repeat this mistake again.
As an 11-time combat veteran and a Gold Star husband who lost his beloved wife Shannon in a war created by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation to die in a war that is of no benefit to the American people and that does not justify the sacrifice of American lives.
I pray that we will think carefully about what we are doing in Iran and who we are doing it for. Now is the time to take bold action. We can turn around and chart a new path for our country, or we can allow ourselves to move further toward decline and chaos. you have a card
It was an honor to serve in your administration and to serve our great country.
joseph kent
Director of National Counterterrorism Center
