Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center. File photo: ReutersA top security official in US President Donald Trump's administration resigned over the war in Iran on Tuesday, saying the country had posed no imminent threat to the United States. Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center, is the first senior official in Trump's administration to resign over the conflict, now in its third week. Some experts have said an imminent threat would be required for the United States to launch a war under the international law of war. Kent is close with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has kept a low profile since the Iran war began.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 17, 2026 18:48 UTC