Washington

Joseph Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), has resigned from his post in protest against the ongoing conflict with Iran, stating that Tehran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States.

In his resignation letter addressed to US President Donald Trump, Kent termed the war “unjustified” and argued that Washington’s involvement was driven more by external pressure than by direct national security concerns.

“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. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,” Kent wrote.

He further criticised what he described as a shift away from the “America First” foreign policy approach and drew comparisons with past US military engagements in the Middle East.

Kent also alleged that pressure from Israel and its supporters in the US contributed to the decision to go to war, claiming that misinformation campaigns influenced policy decisions.

His resignation marks a rare high-level departure from within the US counterterrorism establishment amid intensifying debate over the objectives and justification of the conflict.

The development comes as tensions in West Asia continue to escalate following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28. Iran subsequently launched retaliatory attacks targeting US and Israeli assets across the Gulf region, disrupting maritime routes and impacting global energy markets.

Amid the conflict, Iran has effectively restricted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy transit route.

Following Khamenei’s death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

A decorated military veteran with extensive combat experience, Kent said his decision was also shaped by personal loss and his opposition to prolonged military engagements.

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“As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war… I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people,” he stated.