US counterterrorism chief resigns, says Iran ‘not an imminent threat’ to the United States
The director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, has announced his immediate resignation, citing opposition to the ongoing war involving Iran.
Kent posted his resignation letter on social media, stating that he could not support the war “with a clear conscience.”
In the letter, he said intelligence assessments under his oversight showed that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States, adding that the conflict was initiated under significant political pressure from Israel and influential lobbying groups in Washington.
Kent also alleged that a coordinated information campaign had been used to push the United States toward another Middle East war, describing it as a “trap” drawing Washington back into prolonged regional conflict.
His resignation has shocked the US intelligence community, as Kent is a former US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer who served in combat 11 times and has been closely associated with the political circle surrounding Donald Trump and the “America First” movement.
The decision carries additional weight because Kent’s wife was killed during operations related to the Syrian Civil War in 2019.
He wrote that he refuses to see another generation of Americans sent to die in a war he believes offers no benefit to the American people.