Top US security official Joe Kent quits, says Iran did not pose an immediate threat

Summary

• Joseph Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, resigned, citing disagreement with the war in Iran.
• Kent stated Iran posed no imminent threat and blamed pressure from Israel for starting the war.
• Intelligence officials were surprised, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has remained silent.

WASHINGTON – A top security official in US President Donald Trump’s administration resigned over the war in Iran on March 17, saying the country had posed no imminent threat to the United States.

Mr Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center, is the first senior official in Mr Trump’s administration to resign over the conflict, now in its third week.

“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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Mr Kent wrote in a letter posted to social media.

Some experts have said an imminent threat would be required for the US to launch a war under the international law of war.

Mr Kent’s letter to Mr Trump included “false claims”, said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement.

“As President Trump has clearly and explicitly stated, he had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first,” said Ms Leavitt. “This evidence was compiled from many sources and factors.”

Mr Kent did not respond to requests for comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the counter-terrorism centre, also did not immediately respond.

Kent known for opposing military interventions

Mr Kent has long been known for his “America First” beliefs and has said he opposes US military interventions abroad.

Still, the announcement came as a surprise, one US official said.

Mr Kent is close to director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has kept a low profile since the Iran war began.

“After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion,” Ms Gabbard said on social media on March 17.

The National Intelligence Council, which is overseen by Ms Gabbard’s office, issued several assessments both before and after the US strikes began that highlighted the risks of US intervention. Those reports indicated the Iranian government was unlikely to collapse and Iran would most likely retaliate against US outposts in the region and Gulf allies, as Reuters previously reported.

Mr Kent has been criticised by Democrats for his associations with far-right figures. Media reports have linked Mr Kent to self-avowed white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Mr Kent has since denounced Mr Fuentes’ views.

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Mr Kent should never have been confirmed to head the counter-terrorism office.

“But on this point, he is right: There was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice,” Mr Warner said in a statement.

In 2025, Mr Kent pushed intelligence analysts to rework an assessment on Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua that did not support the White House’s argument that then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was directing the gang’s operations.

The administration had portrayed the gang as a security threat to justify its immigration crackdown. REUTERS