Who Is Joe Kent? US Counterterrorism Chief Who Quit Over Iran War

3 min readUpdated: Mar 18, 2026 09:38 AM Top US counterterrorism official in the Trump adminration Joe Kent on Tuesday resigned over the war in Iran. In his resignation letter shared on X, he said that he could not support the conflict and argued that Iran did not pose an immediate threat to the United States.
In the letter shared on X, Joseph Kent said that the war was initiated under the pressure from Israel and its powerful lob in the United States. He stated that he could not in good conscience support this war. In his letter, Kent lauded US President Trump’s foreign policies enacted in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He also praised US President Trump for eradicating Iranian military official Qasem Soleimani in 2020 in an American drone strike in Iraq.

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
Kent says Israeli lob pushed US into Iran war
Kent expressed his disappointment in his letter and stepped down from his position on the war. He wrote that high-ranking Israeli officers and influential members of the American media sowed a misinformation campaign and pro-war sentiments against Iran. The lob, he argued, made President Trump believe that if he strikes now, he could win the war, which was a lie. He further called it an Israeli tactic used to draw the United States into the Iraq war.
Who is Joseph Kent?
Joseph Kent, aged 45, served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the United States for less than a year. He was appointed to serve as the chief of the counterterrorism office in February 2025.
Kent is a former soldier with US Army Special Forces who completed 11 combat deployments from 1998-2018, including the US-Iraq War. After retiring from the military, he joined the CIA’s Special Activities Center as a paramilitary officer.
In his resignation letter, Kent has described the Iraq war as one ‘manufactured Israel’.
Campaigned as a Republican twice in the US Congress
Kent then moved onto launching his political career. He campaigned as a Republican to represent Southwestern Washington state in the US Congress in 2022 and 2024. A former political candidate, he was criticised for hiring a member of a far-right US military organisation Proud Boys as a consultant for his election bid in 2022.

Lost his first wife in suicide bombing in Syria
Joseph Kent’s first wife Shannon Kent, a US Navy cryptologic technician, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria while deployed alongside the US special operation forces. She was survived her two children. Joseph Kent later married Heather Kent.Story continues below this ad
The US intervened in the Syrian Civil war in 2014, primarily to fight ISIS through Operation Inherent Resolve. The US carried out a direct strike against the Syrian government in 2018. In 2019, President Trump withdrew the SDF following the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Expand

The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis.

A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students.

All reporting from the Global Desk adheres to The Indian Express’ editorial standards, relying on official data, government notifications, court documents, and on-record sources. The desk prioritises clarity, accuracy, and accountability, ensuring readers can navigate complex global systems with confidence.

Core Team

The Express Global Desk is led a team of experienced journals and editors with deep expertise in international affairs and migration policy:

Aniruddha Dhar – Senior Assant Editor with extensive experience in global affairs, international politics, and editorial leadership.

Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage.

Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. … Read More

Stay updated with the latest – Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd