US counterterror chief quits over Iran war

The head of the United States National Counterterrorism Center, Joseph “Joe” Kent, has resigned in protest over the US-Israel war in Iran, declaring in a blistering letter to President Donald Trump that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.”

Kent, a former Special Forces officer and the country’s top counterterrorism official, submitted his resignation on Tuesday after weeks of escalating US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. He is the highest-ranking national security official to quit over the conflict, a move that underscores growing internal dissent over the administration’s justification for the war.

In his letter to Trump, Kent said he could “not in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” arguing that intelligence available to his office did not support claims that Tehran posed an imminent danger to the United States. “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,” he wrote, according to excerpts published by US media.

Joseph Kent was confirmed by the Senate in July 2025 as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, the hub that integrates and analyzes terrorism-related intelligence across the US government and advises the president on terror threats. As NCTC chief, he oversaw efforts to track extremist networks worldwide and assess risks to US interests at home and abroad.

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A former Green Beret whose wife, Navy cryptologist Shannon Kent, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria, Kent has long been a prominent critic of what he calls “endless wars” in the Middle East. His decision to step down over the Iran campaign carries added weight because of his personal losses and his reputation as a hawkish but independent-minded adviser.

Clash over “imminent threat”

The Trump administration has repeatedly defended its decision to launch strikes in Iran by insisting that Tehran represented an “imminent threat” to US forces and allies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials have cited classified assessments suggesting Iran was preparing major attacks, arguing that pre-emptive action was necessary to save American lives.

Kent directly challenges that narrative in his resignation letter, saying the intelligence picture did not justify a full-scale campaign. His assertion that Iran posed no imminent threat is likely to intensify scrutiny in Congress, where lawmakers in both parties have already demanded access to the underlying intelligence and questioned the legal basis for the strikes.

White House response

The White House has pushed back sharply on Kent’s claims. Trump, speaking to reporters during a meeting with the Irish prime minister, said he had read Kent’s statement and dismissed the outgoing official as “weak on security.” “Iran was a threat — every country realized what a threat Iran was,” the president insisted, reiterating that he had “strong and compelling evidence” to justify military action.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Kent of echoing “false claims” spread by Democrats and “liberal media,” insisting that intelligence showed Iran was preparing attacks on the United States. Administration officials have signalled that a replacement for Kent will be named quickly, as the war in Iran continues and concerns mount over potential blowback against US interests worldwide.