U.S. counterterrorism director Joe Kent resigns over war: 'Iran posed no imminent threat'

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Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testifies during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing titled "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland," in Cannon building on Wednesday, December 11, 2025.

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National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent on Tuesday announced he will resign in response to the Trump administration's military actions against Iran.

"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war," Kent said in a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, that was posted on Kent's official personal X account.

Kent, a promoter of far-right conspiracy theories whom the Senate narrowly confirmed for the director role last July, accused the president of being deceived by Israel into supporting war against 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 wrote in his letter.

The White House, the National Counterterrorism Center and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which houses the counterterrorism center, did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment.