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Top U.S. counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigns over Trump's war on Iran
Says Iran 'posed no imminent threat' to America, blames 'pressure from Israel'
The Associated Press · Posted: Mar 17, 2026 10:09 AM EDT | Last Updated: 36 minutes agoListen to this article
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Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, says he resigned Tuesday due to the U.S. war against Iran. (Jenny Kane/The Associated Press)
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Joe Kent, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he "cannot in good conscience" back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
"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," Kent said in an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, posted on X.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote. He is the first senior member of Trump's administration to resign over the war against Iran.