Joe Kent has said that Washington has been dragged into another “never-ending” war by Israel and its “powerful American lobby”.
Joe Kent, head of the US National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned in protest over Washington’s war with Iran, saying Israel has drawn the US into another “never ending” A conflict that does not serve American interests.
A former military officer who also served in the CIA, Kent was nominated for the post of counterterrorism chief by US President Donald Trump in February 2025 and was confirmed by the Senate in July the same year. He completed 11 combat tours, mostly in Iraq, before leaving the Army in 2018.
“I cannot in good conscience support an ongoing war in Iran. Iran poses no imminent threat to our nation,” Kent said in a resignation letter posted on Twitter on Tuesday. He also said “It is clear that we started this war because of pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Washington and West Jerusalem launched unprovoked attacks on the Islamic republic late last month, while blaming Tehran for the conflict and openly calling for regime change. The US and Israel described the operation as a preemptive strike aimed at preventing Tehran from building nuclear weapons – an ambition it denies.
Kent claimed that Trump fell victim to a disinformation campaign run by Israel that led him to believe that Tehran was a threat. He argued that similar lies were used to drag the US into war with Iraq in 2003.
“We can’t make this mistake again,” the outgoing counterterrorism chief said. “I cannot support sending the next generation to fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.” He added.
The announcement comes just a day after Axios reported that Trump was reportedly considering seizing Iran’s Kharg Island offshore oil hub, which would potentially require ground operations.
The US-Israeli strikes have already reportedly killed more than 1,000 Iranian civilians, triggering retaliatory attacks across the Middle East, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz – a key oil and gas shipping lane.
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