Washington, United States. The director of the US counterterrorism center, Joseph Kent, resigned on Tuesday and criticised the war in Iran in a letter to President Donald Trump saying Iran did not constitute an immediate threat to the United States.
Resignation letter published on X
Kent published his resignation letter on X, saying he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war on Iran” and claiming the conflict was initiated under pressure from Israel and its American lobby.
Claims of disinformation campaign
Kent said that early in the administration, “high-ranking Israeli officials and powerful members of the American media developed a disinformation campaign that completely undermined your ‘America First’ platform and sowed pro-war sentiment.”
He warned that similar tactics had drawn the United States into the Iraq War and said they must not be repeated.
Background and comments on past actions
Kent, a former special force warrant officer with combat experience, praised Trump’s earlier foreign military actions, including the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, but accused the administration of abandoning restraint under the influence of what he described as a jingoistic environment.
Trump responds at White House event
Trump responded to Kent’s resignation at a White House St Patrick’s Day reception, saying he “didn’t know him well” and describing Kent’s position on Iran as weak.
“Every country realised what a threat Iran was, so when someone is working with us that says they didn’t think Iran was a threat, we don’t want those people, they’re not savvy people,” Trump said.
How do you assess the significance of Kent’s resignation for US policy toward Iran?