FBI Investigates Counter-terrorism Chief After Resignation over Iran War

The resignation of a senior U.S. counterterrorism official and the subsequent FBI investigation highlight a sharp internal dispute over intelligence assessments underpinning the war on Iran.

Joseph Kent, 45, resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) on Tuesday, stating he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”

His departure coincided with an FBI investigation into alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified information, which multiple sources told CBS News and The New York Times had begun months earlier.

Kent directly challenged the administration’s justification for launching Operation Epic Fury on February 28.

In his resignation letter, he wrote: “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation,” adding that the conflict was driven by “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected those claims, stating: “Iran was a tremendous threat.” He added, “we don’t want those people” who did not see Iran as a threat, and described Kent as “very weak on security.”

The dispute centers on whether Iran posed an imminent threat at the time of the strikes. Trump had framed the operation as a defensive move against a nuclear danger, while Kent argued there was “no intelligence” supporting such a conclusion.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who oversees the NCTC, said the determination ultimately rested with the president.

However, in testimony to the Senate intelligence committee, she stated that her department had seen “no efforts” by Iran to rebuild its nuclear enrichment program following U.S. strikes in June of the previous year.

Kent further told commentator Tucker Carlson that “a good deal of key decision makers were not allowed to come and express their opinion,” adding that “there wasn’t a robust debate.”

The war, launched on February 28, has resulted in nearly 1,500 civilian deaths, including more than 200 children, according to figures cited in the source text. Trump said the campaign aimed to bring “freedom” to the Iranian people.

Kent disputed the immediacy of the threat, stating intelligence assessments suggested Iran was “several months, a year, two years” away from developing nuclear strike capabilities and that there was “no intelligence” indicating active weaponization efforts.

He also referenced remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said on March 2 that U.S. strikes were conducted pre-emptively ahead of a potential Israeli action.

Kent’s resignation marks the highest-level departure tied to the Iran war decision, reflecting deeper fractures within the U.S. national security establishment. His role at NCTC placed him at the center of threat analysis, making his dissent particularly significant.

The FBI has declined to comment on the investigation, which sources described as “months-long.”

The outcome of the probe remains uncertain, but it adds a legal dimension to an already contentious policy dispute.