Iran posed no imminent threat': Who is Joseph Kent, Tulsi Gabbard aide and US counter-terror centre chief who quit blaming Israel for war?

The head of the United States’ National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Joseph Kent, has resigned in protest over the ongoing US–Israel conflict in Iran, becoming the first senior Trump administration official to step down over the war. In a letter to US President Donald Trump posted on X, Kent stated: “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,” adding that he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran” and describing the conflict as driven by “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Kent, who served as a top aide to Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, announced that his resignation is effective immediately.

In his letter, Kent wrote that after ‘much reflection’ he had decided to step down, emphasising his belief that the current conflict contradicted core American interests. He criticised what he described as a misinformation campaign that had “wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro‑war sentiments,” and warned against repeating past mistakes like the Iraq war. He urged the president to “reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for.”

Joe Kent was a top aide to Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, appears to be the first senior Trump administration official to resign over the conflict. Kent’s decision highlights the unease within the 'America First' camp over the war and signals growing dissent among top national security officials regarding US engagement in Iran.

Joseph Clay Kent was born on April 11, 1980, in Oregon. He served in the US Army from 1998 to 2018, completing 11 combat deployments and assignments with elite units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment and Army Special Forces. After retiring, he joined the CIA’s Special Activities Center as a paramilitary officer. In 2019, his first wife, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria, an event Kent described in his resignation letter as part of a war “manufactured by Israel.”

President Trump nominated Joseph Kent to lead the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in February 2025, and the Senate confirmed his appointment in July 2025. In his resignation letter to Trump, Kent criticised the administration’s Iran policy, writing: “This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory."

This exit follows the 2025 'Signalgate' scandal, where he was implicated in a security breach involving sensitive military data shared via an unencrypted messaging app. During his 2022 and 2024 congressional campaigns, Kent faced scrutiny for ties to white nationalist figures and the employment of a Proud Boys member on his staff.