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“It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent wrote on social media.<\/p>\n
AMERICA, \u2014 Director of the National Counterterrorism Center\u00a0<\/a>and Oregon native Joe Kent announced that he’s resigning from the position Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Kent posted the announcement to social media, saying in part that he “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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.<\/p>\n 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\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/prtu86DpEr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The resignation comes weeks after a series of U.S. strikes on Iran ignited an ongoing conflict in the region that has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 a major trade line for oil and other goods.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n With oil prices rising, Trump said he had demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to ensure ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported<\/a>. But his appeals brought no immediate commitments, with many saying they are hesitant to get involved in a war with no defined exit plan and skeptical that they could do more than the U.S. Navy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n