Kent resigned as director of the US National Counterterrorism Center on March 17, 2026. He had assumed the position in 2025, during the Donald Trump administration.
The reason for his resignation was his opposition to the United States' war against Iran. Kent stated that he could not support this conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an immediate threat to the United States and that the decision to go to war had been made under political pressure.
In his resignation letter he wrote:
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no immediate threat to our country, and it is clear that this war was instigated by pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby in America.”
Kent also added that, as a war veteran and the husband of a soldier killed in the conflict, he cannot support sending another generation of Americans into a war that, in his opinion, does not serve the interests of the American people.
His resignation is considered the first departure of a senior American official due to the war with Iran, highlighting divisions within the administration over foreign policy and military interventions.
