Top Intelligence Official Resigns Over U.S.-Iran War, Saying He Can't Support the Conflict

A senior U.S. intelligence official appointed by President Donald Trump stepped down Tuesday, saying he could not support the ongoing war with Iran.

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation citing deep moral concerns, saying he could not "in good conscience" back the conflict. Kent argued that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and that the country was pushed into war under pressure from Israel, not credible intelligence.

The White House pushed back, maintaining that the strikes were necessary and backed by intelligence pointing to a potential threat, though Kent's departure raises questions about divisions within Trump's own national security circle.

Kent was a Trump appointee, making the resignation notable as a rare public break from within the administration over the direction of the war.