Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday citing his inability to support the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent invoked his late wife, Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, who was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria. The retired Army special forces officer stated he 'cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,' arguing it serves no benefit to Americans.

Shannon Kent, 35, was a Navy linguist and cryptologic specialist supporting special operations when she died. The New York native joined the Navy after 9/11 and became fluent in Arabic dialects crucial for intelligence gathering. Her husband recounted meeting her briefly in Baghdad in 2007 before reconnecting years later during classified training. She was posthumously promoted to senior chief after the Manbij attack.

Kent's resignation drew criticism from lawmakers who called his remarks on Israel antisemitic and noted his support for conspiracy theories. He defended his position on a podcast, claiming 'the administrative state' kept troops in Syria despite Trump's withdrawal order. Kent argued his wife 'should have been out of Syria' before her death, framing his resignation as a stand against sending 'the next generation off to fight and die' in conflicts he views as unnecessary.