A top US counterterror official quits over Iran war, claims Israel tricked Trump into it
Joseph Kent, whose ties to extremists and conspiracy theories drew scrutiny, says US president was ‘deceived’ into launching attack, also says Israel ‘drew’ US into Iraq war
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The head of the United States’ National Counterterrorism Center, Joseph Kent, resigned from his post on Tuesday over the US-Israel war in Iran, asserting that US President Donald Trump was maneuvered by Israel into attacking the Islamic Republic.
Kent, who has previously faced scrutiny over his espousal of conspiracy theories and ties to white nationalists, said on social media that 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.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
In a letter to Trump that Kent posted to X, he asserted: “Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.”
“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory,” he said.
Kent said that was a “lie” and “the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women.”
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
The outgoing official said that he could not support a war with Iran, as “a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel.”
His wife was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing during the Syrian civil war that erupted as part of the Arab Spring.
Kent was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats.
He is close with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. A spokesperson for Gabbard did not immediately respond to questions about Kent’s resignation.
A veteran and former Congresswoman from Hawaii, Gabbard has in the past criticized talk of military strikes in Iran. Six years ago, she said that “an all-out war with Iran would make the wars that we’ve seen in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic. It will be far more costly in lives, American lives, and American taxpayer dollars — and all towards accomplishing what goal? What objective?”
Gabbard’s office did not respond when asked if Gabbard supported the strikes, and she has not posted about Iran on her social media accounts since the strikes began last month.
Before entering President Donald Trump’s administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump’s national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent’s counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had “dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.