Gate News reports that on March 17, Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation effective immediately on Tuesday. Kent stated that he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing Iran war," citing that Iran does not pose a direct threat and that "it is clear this war was provoked by us under pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobbying groups." Earlier this month, remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Rubio sparked controversy among the President's supporters when he stated that Israel insists on launching an attack against Iran, thereby forcing the U.S. to take action. Rubio later changed his statement, while Trump denied this was America's original intention. When asked whether Israel forced Trump to take action against Iran, Trump responded: "Based on how negotiations have progressed, I believe they (Iran) were originally going to strike first. I don't want that to happen. So, if anything, it might be that I forced Israel to take action." This argument did not convince Kent, whose wife Sharon was killed in a suicide bombing attack in Syria in 2019. In his resignation letter, he wrote: "Israel has launched a 'disinformation offensive' that has completely undermined your 'America First' agenda and stirred up pro-war sentiment to push for war with Iran. I hope you will seriously consider what we have done in Iran and who we have done it for." According to AXIOS reporters, Joe Kent is the first Trump administration senior official to resign over the Iran war. American political journalist Jonathan Karl stated that during Trump's tenure, it is rare to see a senior official voluntarily resign to protest a particular policy.