Director of US counter-terrorism agency resigns in protest against war

Joe Kent, director of National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)resigned from his position this Tuesday (17), disagreeing with the war against Iran initiated by the USA and Israel. According to him, Iran “represented no imminent threat to the American nation.” The former member of the US Special Forces published an excerpt of his resignation letter on social media: “After much reflection, I have decided to resign as Director of the NCTC, effective immediately. I cannot, in good conscience, support the ongoing war in Iran”

The official formalized his departure immediately, expressing direct disagreement with the military offensive against Iran carried out by Donald Trump’s administration in partnership with Israel. Kent, who was considered a longtime ally of the president, exposed fissures in the current administration’s foreign policy doctrine. The now former director attributes the conflict to pressure exerted by Israel and the Israeli lobby within the United States, arguing that such a stance contradicts the principles of prioritizing national interests previously defended by the government.

In the document, widely reproduced by the international press, Kent evoked his military experience and family losses in conflicts in the Middle East to justify that he “did not endorse sending a new generation of soldiers to a war that brings no real benefits to the American people”. This is the first high-profile casualty since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, 2026.

Institutional reaction and clashes in the Oval Office

The White House’s response was immediate and marked by President Donald Trump’s signature confrontational tone. During a speech to journalists in the Oval Office, the president disqualified his former subordinate’s stance, classifying him as weak on national security issues and reiterating that he does not want individuals on the team who do not recognize Iran as a threat.

At the same time, the Directorate of National Intelligence, under the command of Tulsi Gabbard, maintained official silence about the episode, although, according to the North American press, internal sources indicate that there were already previous moves to dismiss Kent before the resignation initiative. The director had been confirmed by the Senate in July 2025 after a close vote, marked by internal political resistance.

Political developments and security risks

The impact of Joe Kent’s departure has repercussions on the US Congress and the global geopolitical scenario, with the Democratic opposition using the former director’s statements to question the legitimacy of military actions. Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia highlighted that the concerns raised by Kent are justified and shed light on the conduct of terrorist risk analyses.

The resignation comes at a time of heightened alert for United States security agencies, while international media outlets point out that questioning the non-existence of an imminent threat could serve as the basis for legal challenges to the conduct of the war without the explicit approval of the Legislature. The episode technically and politically isolates the White House’s narrative on losing the person responsible for the main agency for analyzing threats to the USA.