Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, has announced his resignation through a post on the social media platform X. In his statement, he expressed strong opposition to the ongoing conflict and urged President Donald Trump to bring it to an end.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent declared in his resignation letter.
Reacting to Kent’s departure, President Trump remarked that Kent’s resignation was beneficial, criticizing him for his stance on the Iranian war and describing him as “very weak on security.”
“If someone working with us believes Iran is not a threat, we don’t want those individuals,” Trump stated.
“They lack intelligence, or they lack savvy,” he added.
Kent accused both Israeli officials and the media of misleading President Trump regarding Iran’s threat level.
“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to victory,” he said in the resignation letter.
“This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women.
“We cannot make this mistake again.”
US national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard appeared to respond to the resignation letter in a social media post, saying ultimately Trump gets to decide on what constitutes as a threat.
“As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country,” she wrote.
Kent has faced criticism in the past for associations with far-right figures, including White nationalists and a Nazi sympathizer.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
