By Obinna Uballa
Joseph Kent, Director of United States the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his inability to support the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran.
In a statement posted on X, Kent wrote: “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.”
Kent, a former Army Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer with 11 combat deployments, asserted that 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.”
In a formal resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump, Kent argued that the conflict represented a shift from the administration’s earlier emphasis on avoiding prolonged Middle East entanglements. He referenced Trump’s first term, praising the targeted strike that eliminated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani as an example of decisive action without escalation into endless war.
Kent claimed that prior to the launch of Operation Epic Fury – the current U.S.-led campaign involving sustained air and missile strikes – he and others had been misled by a “misinformation campaign” from high-ranking Israeli officials and media outlets. This, he said, created an “echo chamber” portraying Iran as an immediate danger with a clear path to swift victory.
The NCTC director, who reports directly to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, occupies one of the top intelligence positions in the U.S. government. Gabbard, a vocal critic of regime-change wars in the past, has remained largely silent on the Iran conflict since its outset. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Kent’s departure.
Kent highlighted his personal background, including the 2019 death of his wife, Navy intelligence officer Shannon Kent, in an ISIS bombing in Syria. “As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people or justifies the cost of American lives,” he posted on X.
The resignation marks the most high-profile departure from the Trump administration amid the third week of Operation Epic Fury. The operation, initially projected to last four to six weeks, has seen ongoing exchanges of strikes, including Iranian retaliatory attacks on U.S. forces, Israel, and Gulf allies. Officials have indicated the timeline may extend further due to continued resistance.
The White House did not immediately comment on Kent’s resignation. Taylor Budowich, a former deputy chief of staff to Trump who left in September 2025, dismissed the move on X, calling Kent a “crazed egomaniac” prone to leaks and suggesting the resignation was motivated by impending dismissal rather than principle.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the administration’s rationale, telling reporters: “I got all the briefings. We all understood there was clearly an imminent threat, that Iran was very close to the enrichment of nuclear capability, and they were building missiles at a pace that no one in the region could keep up with.”
Kent’s confirmation as NCTC director had faced Democratic opposition over his past political statements, associations with January 6-related figures, and election-related comments during unsuccessful congressional runs in Washington state-though supporters emphasized his extensive military and intelligence credentials.
