Joe Kent Resigns as Director of National Counterterrorism Center Over Iran Conflict

By Noah Hurowitz

*Published: 2026-03-20*

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the Trump administration, resigned on Tuesday, stating his opposition to U.S. military operations in Iran.

Kent's resignation represents one in a series of public disagreements within conservative circles regarding the U.S.-involved conflict in Iran, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, 2026. Those strikes followed Iranian missile launches toward Israel on June 13-15, 2025, amid weeks of reported military buildup by Iran and public statements from President Trump warning of potential U.S. action. While previous public criticisms had come primarily from media figures aligned with the MAGA movement, Kent's departure marked the first resignation from a senior administration national security position over the matter.

In his resignation letter, posted to X where it garnered nearly 100 million views by Friday morning, Kent stated that he could not support the operations in Iran. He argued that they contradicted Trump's campaign pledges to avoid new foreign wars and attributed the U.S. involvement to pressure from Israel and associated lobbying groups in the U.S. "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," Kent wrote.

Kent's claims have drawn counterarguments from administration officials. The White House has cited what it describes as "compelling evidence" of Iranian plans for an imminent attack on the U.S., including intelligence on preparations for strikes against American targets. President Trump referred to Kent's departure as "a good thing" and described him publicly as "weak on security." White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called the resignation letter's assertions "false claims." Separately, Kent has faced an FBI investigation into allegations of improperly sharing classified information, which predated his resignation, according to media reports. Some observers, including coverage from the BBC, have noted that phrasing in Kent's letter regarding "Israel and its powerful American lobby" echoed antisemitic tropes cited in prior controversies.

Advocates who assist military personnel seeking conscientious objector status report increased inquiries from service members regarding the Iran operations. Mike Prysner, executive director of the Center on Conscience and War — an organization that provides counseling on such matters and has an anti-war focus — said his group has received continuous calls from active-duty personnel and their families exploring options to refuse participation. These could include outright refusal, which carries risks of disciplinary action, or formal applications for conscientious objector status.

Prysner described Kent's action as potentially validating concerns among service members. "This is the kind of thing that really resonates: seeing respected people in positions of power validating what many service members feel," Prysner said. His group, which supports military personnel objecting to combat operations on religious, moral, or ethical grounds, has assisted dozens of service members in initiating conscientious objector applications since the airstrikes began, according to Prysner. He reported contacts from personnel across ranks, from private to major, including three fighter pilots. "We’ve started more people in the CO process in the past two weeks than we typically do over the period of a year," Prysner said.

These figures could not be independently verified. Representatives from the Army, Navy, and Air Force did not respond to requests for comment on applications for conscientious objector status. No public data or official statements confirm a broader "wave" of refusals or applications tied specifically to the Iran operations.

Kent, an Army veteran who later worked at the CIA and ran unsuccessfully as a Republican congressional candidate in Washington state, held his position under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who previously expressed reservations about U.S. pressure for regime change in Iran.

The resignation coincides with divisions among Trump supporters, where some, including media figures like Tucker Carlson, have questioned the decision to conduct operations alongside Israel, while others have defended it. Kent's announcement prompted immediate responses from administration figures.

U.S. military regulations allow service members to seek exemptions from combat or even discharge by demonstrating a religious, moral, or ethical objection to "war in any form." This process dates back to the nation's founding but has evolved, particularly in the all-volunteer force, where applicants must show that their beliefs have "crystallized" after enlistment. Prysner noted that citing a specific conflict, such as operations in Iran, is permissible if it leads to a broader opposition to all war. "It’s totally valid for people to cite a specific conflict in their CO application, as long as that leads them to the broader realization that they cannot participate in any war," he said.

Prysner, an Iraq War veteran who transitioned to anti-war activism after his service — during which he said encounters with Iraqis prompted his shift — highlighted how social media and instant news access might accelerate such realizations today. He pointed to inquiries linked to the initial U.S. airstrike on February 28 in Minab, Iran, which targeted an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps site but resulted in 168 deaths, most of them children at a nearby school. "By far the most common thing we’ve heard from people for a specific thing that caused them to reach out was the Minab school strike," Prysner said, adding that service members cited reluctance to participate in actions harming civilians.

During the Iraq War, hundreds of U.S. service members resisted deployment, with some successfully obtaining conscientious objector status, others going absent without leave — including at least 200 who fled to Canada — and figures like former Marine Stephen Funk serving jail time for refusal. Funk, who also faced challenges as a closeted gay service member and spent time in the brig, later collaborated with groups including Iraq Veterans Against the War, which advocates against U.S. military interventions.

Funk expressed concern over the Iran operations, which have resulted in hundreds of reported civilian deaths. He encouraged service members with objections to pursue formal processes promptly. "I would say go for it, the sooner the better," Funk said. "You don’t want to have injuries, or moral injuries, that you’ll carry for the rest of your life."

*Correction: March 20, 2026, 12:25 p.m. ET. Due to an editing error, this story contained an errant reference to Mike Prysner’s military service; he did not serve in Syria.*

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