Donald Trump's counterterrorism director spectacularly QUITS over the Iran war and piles blame on Israel

"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 war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," he wrote on X.

He added it had been an "honour" to serve under President Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Accompanying Mr Kent's post on X with his resignation letter addressed to President Trump, which read: "After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.

"I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, 2024, which you enacted in your first term.

"Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.

"In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and by defeating ISIS.

"Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.

"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 was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.

"As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.

"I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.

"It was an honor to serve in your administration and to serve our great nation," he signed off.

Joe Kent is a former US Army Special Forces soldier who served multiple combat tours, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, before moving into politics and national security.

His wife, Navy cryptologist Shannon Kent, was killed in a 2019 ISIS bombing in Syria.

Mr Kent became a prominent voice in conservative foreign policy circles, advocating a more restrained US military posture abroad.

He later entered politics, running as a Republican congressional candidate in Washington state, where he aligned himself with Donald Trump and the America First Maga movement.

The former soldier subsequently took on roles within the US national security apparatus, culminating in his appointment as director of the National Counterterrorism Centre.

President Trump has not yet addressed Mr Kent's explosive resignation.

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