Donald Trump’s top counterterrorism official has resigned in protest over the Iran war, accusing Israel and its ‘powerful American lobby’ of pressuring the US into a conflict he says was built on lies.
Joseph Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said Iran posed no imminent threat and the war was started ‘due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,’ adding: ‘I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war.’
Kent, who served under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, accused the President of reneging on the non-interventionist principles he campaigned on.
‘Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation,’ the former Army Special Forces soldier wrote in his resignation letter.
‘The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.’
Kent, who deployed to combat 11 times and lost his wife Shannon in what he calls a war manufactured by Israel, is closely aligned with the populist ‘America First’ wing of the Trump administration, including Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance, who have both warned against new Middle East entanglements.
