FBI reportedly investigating former US counterterrorism chief who resigned over Iran war

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is looking into Joe Kent, a former counterterrorism official who stepped down due to his objections to the war with Iran, as reported by US media on Wednesday. The investigation was already in progress before Kent resigned on Tuesday from his role as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, according to a source cited by NewsNation. "Joe Kent is facing an FBI investigation for allegedly leaking classified information, and I’ve learned that this investigation started before he left," wrote Shelby Talcott, a White House correspondent for the news site Semafor, in a post on X. On Tuesday, Kent shared on X that he chose to resign because he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war with Iran." He expressed that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is evident that we began this war because of pressure from Israel and its strong American lobby." Kent pointed out that early in this administration, high-ranking officials from Israel and influential American media members launched a misinformation campaign that severely undermined President Donald Trump’s America First agenda, fostering pro-war feelings to promote conflict with Iran. Analysts believe that the resignation of a senior US counterterrorism official reflects increasing pressure on the Trump administration regarding the Iran war, especially with growing criticism from Democratic lawmakers, business leaders, and even parts of his own supporter base. Recent surveys indicate that many Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters still favor Trump’s military actions against Iran. However, some prominent MAGA figures, including Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon, have publicly expressed their disagreement.