Joe Kent
“It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby in the United States”, denounced Joe Kent, in a letter addressed to Trump.
The director of the United States Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kentpresented his resignation this Tuesday to the President, Donald Trump, in protest against the war that the country and Israel are waging against Iran.
“I cannot, in good conscience, support the war being fought in Iran. Iran did not pose any imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby in the United States. (USA)”, wrote Kent in a letter addressed to Trump.
The National Counter-Terrorism Center, belonging to the United States Office of National Secret Service, is an organization created after the attacks of September 11, 2001, to collect information on international terrorism.
In his letter, Kent, a US Army veteran, recalled that Trump campaigned on the “America First” platform, claiming that “the wars in the Middle East were a trap which cost the United States the precious lives” of its soldiers and “the prosperity” of the country.
The resigning director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center also accused senior Israeli officials of orchestrating “a disinformation campaign” to justify the offensive against Iran, “the same tactic that the Israelis used” to drag the United States into the “disastrous war in Iraq”.
“I pray that you reflect on what we are doing in Iran and who we are doing it for. The time to act with courage is now. You can change course” of the events, Kent wrote in the letter to Trump.
The war with Iran, in which at least 13 American soldiers have died so far and which has driven up fuel prices, has been criticized by some voices close to Trump, such as journalist Tucker Carlsonfor whom this contradicts the Republican’s campaign promise to focus on domestic issues and keep the country out of wars abroad.
It is worth remembering that the United States and Israel launched a , on February 28, which they justified with the Islamic Republic’s inflexibility in negotiations to end uranium enrichment within the scope of its nuclear program, which it claims is intended only for civilian purposes.
In retaliation, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and launched attacks against targets in Israel, US bases and other infrastructure in countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman and Iraq.
Incidents with Iranian projectiles were also recorded in Cyprus, and Azerbaijan.
Since the beginning of the conflict, at least 1,348 deadincluding Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Islamic Republic since 1989, now replaced by his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, and more than 10,000 civilians injured.
The North American non-governmental organization (NGO) Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on March 11 that more than 1,825 people diedincluding almost 1,300 civiliansincluding at least 200 children.
Below, in full, Joseph Kent’s letter addressed to Donald Trump:
President Trump,
After much reflection, I have decided to resign 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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
I support the values and foreign policies that he campaigned on in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and that he implemented in his first term. By June 2025, he understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap robbing America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleting our nation’s wealth and prosperity.
In his first term, he understood better than any modern president how to decisively apply military power without involving us in endless wars. He demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and defeating ISIS.
Early this term, senior Israeli officials and influential members of the American media launched a disinformation campaign that completely undermined their “America First” platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage conflict with Iran.
This echo chamber was used to mislead him into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States and that if it attacked now there would be a clear path to quick victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to drag us into the disastrous Iraq war, which cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We can’t make that mistake again.
As a veteran who has been deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation to fight and die in a war that brings no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.
I pray that you will reflect on what we are doing in Iran and who we are doing it for. The time has come to act boldly. It could reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or it could allow us to slide further into decline and chaos. The cards are in your hands.
It was an honor to serve in your administration and serve our great nation.
