WASHINGTON (MNN); A senior US counterterrorism official, Joseph Kent, resigned on Tuesday in protest against the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, stating that Tehran posed no immediate threat to the United States.
In his resignation letter to President Donald Trump, Kent said he could not support the conflict in good conscience. He argued that the war was initiated under pressure from Israel and its influential lobby in the US rather than any real danger to American security.
Kent, a former Green Beret with multiple combat tours, is the first senior official to step down from the administration over the Iran war. He maintained that earlier assessments had correctly viewed Middle East wars as costly and counterproductive.
He further alleged that a misinformation campaign by senior Israeli figures and sections of the American media had undermined the “America First” agenda and pushed the administration toward war by exaggerating the threat from Iran.
Rejecting claims of an imminent threat, Kent described them as misleading and compared the situation to the narrative that led to the Iraq war, which resulted in heavy human and financial losses for the United States.
He concluded that he could not support sending more American troops into a conflict that does not serve national interests or justify the loss of lives.
Officials at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately comment on the resignation. The development reportedly surprised intelligence circles, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has remained largely out of the public eye since the conflict began.
