Meet Joe Kent, Army veteran and ex-CIA officer who resigned from Trump administration over Iran war

Joe Kent, a former US Army veteran and CIA paramilitary officer who was serving as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, stepped down on Tuesday amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict. In a public statement, Kent said Iran did not pose an “imminent threat” to the United States and argued that the war had been triggered under external pressure.

Announcing his resignation on X, Kent said he could no longer support the conflict. He maintained that the decision to go to war was influenced by Israel and its lobbying network in the US.

In a message addressed to US President Donald Trump, Kent said he still believed in the foreign policy approach Trump had earlier championed, particularly his stance against prolonged military engagements in the Middle East. He praised Trump’s past decisions, including targeted military actions and the campaign against ISIS, but suggested the current course marked a departure from that strategy.




Kent also alleged that the administration had been swayed by a broader misinformation effort. According to him, certain international actors and sections of the US media helped shape a narrative that exaggerated the threat from Iran and pushed the country toward military action.

Drawing from personal experience, Kent underscored the human cost of war. A veteran of 11 combat deployments, he also lost his wife, Shannon, in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria. He said this loss shaped his opposition to sending more American troops into a conflict he believes does not serve national interests.

Concluding his statement, Kent urged Trump to reconsider the current path, warning of long-term consequences and calling for a shift in direction.

Who is Joe Kent?

Joseph Clay Kent, born on April 11, 1980, is a Republican politician and former military and intelligence officer. He served as a US Army warrant officer and later joined the CIA as a paramilitary operative.

As per Wikipedia, Kent was part of the 75th Ranger Regiment and completed 11 combat deployments, primarily in Iraq. After retiring from the Army in 2018, he transitioned to intelligence work. His wife’s death in Syria in 2019 became a turning point, leading him to enter politics.

He ran as a pro-Trump Republican candidate in Washington’s 3rd congressional district in 2022, winning the primary but losing the general election to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. He was defeated by her again in 2024.

In February 2025, Trump nominated Kent to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, a role he held until his resignation in 2026.