America: Who is Joe Kent, who resigned in protest against Iran war?

Updated: 17-03-2026, 08.09 PM

What is the news?

Joe Kent, director of the US Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest over US military action in Iran. He said that he does not support such steps which are not in accordance with the facts. He said, “I do not support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no immediate threat to our country. It is clear that we started the war under pressure from Israel and its influential American lobby.”

Israel also dragged us into Iraq war – Kent

In his resignation letter, Kent accused high-level Israeli officials and influential American journalists of spreading misinformation. He said, “It was made to appear that Iran was an immediate threat to America. This was a lie and was the same strategy Israel adopted to drag us into the Iraq War, which cost the lives of thousands of our soldiers.” In his letter, Kent also appealed to President Donald Trump to change his stance on the Iran war.

Who is Joe Kent?

Joseph Clay Kent was born on April 11, 1980 in Oregon. He is a former US military officer and intelligence officer. He served in the US Army from 1998 to 2018 and during this time he was deployed to combat zones overseas 11 times. He was part of units like the 75th Ranger Regiment and the Army Special Forces. After retiring from military service, he also worked as a paramilitary officer in the CIA.

Became the head of anti-terrorism center last year

Kent’s wife Shannon was killed in a suicide attack in Syria in 2019. She was an officer in the US Navy. After leaving government service, Kent contested Congressional elections from Washington twice, but faced defeat both times. After this, President Donald Trump appointed him the head of the National Counterterrorism Center in February 2025. He had said that Kent would play an important role in keeping America safe and ending terrorism.

There was a dispute over appointment

In July 2025, the Senate approved his appointment to head the National Counterterrorism Center by a vote of 52-44. However, Democrats strongly opposed this and accused him of being associated with radical groups and promoting conspiracy theories.