‘US is repeating the same mistake as Iraq, counter terror chief Joseph Kent resigns; Questions raised on Trump’s policy

US Counterterrorism Chief Resigns: Amid the ongoing fierce war with Iran in the Middle East, the Donald Trump administration has faced major opposition at home. America’s National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) director Joseph Kent has resigned from his post in protest against this war. Joseph Kent has become the first and most prominent official of the Trump government to step down questioning the legality of this war.

‘Can’t support war with conscience’

Joseph Kent posted his resignation letter on social media platform X, in which he directly challenged President Donald Trump’s claims. Kent wrote that he could not in good conscience support this ongoing war because Iran posed no immediate or direct threat to the United States. He completely rejected President Trump’s statement that the attack was necessary for American security.

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, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr

— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026

Serious allegations against Israeli lobby

In his resignation, Kent has made a sensational revelation on the reasons behind this war. He claimed that this war has been started under pressure from Israel and its influential lobby. Addressing the President, he wrote that some people created an atmosphere by giving wrong information that there was a big threat from Iran and made them believe that attacking quickly would lead to victory. Whereas this is not the reality. Kent compared it to the Iraq War, where America suffered heavy losses due to misinformation.

Reminded Trump of his old policy

In the letter, Kent reminded President Trump of his past policies, where Trump himself believed that wars in the Middle East are harmful for America and waste the country’s money along with the lives of soldiers. He said the President had shown true strength in his first term by killing Qassem Suleimani and defeating ISIS without engaging in a protracted war, but the current war is contrary to that policy.

Kent is an experienced officer of CIA and Special Forces.

45-year-old Joseph Kent is not an ordinary officer but an experienced veteran of the American Special Forces and CIA. He has been to the war front 11 times and his wife Shannon Kent also died in a suicide attack in Syria in 2019. Kent is also considered close to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. With his resignation it has become clear that there are huge differences of opinions regarding this war within the American intelligence agencies and the government.