Trump's counter terror chief quits over war on Iran - saying country posed 'no imminent threat' to the US

Sharing his letter to the president on X, Joe Kent said: “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."

It comes as Trump faces growing criticism at home and abroad over what is seemingly becoming another ill-planned US intervention in the Middle East.

Mr Kent was the White House’s most senior counterterror official and has widely been supportive of Trump’s foreign policy approach until now.

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His letter added: “I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, 2024, which you enacted in your first term. Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.

“In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and by defeating ISIS.

“Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.

“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory.

“This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.

“As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.”

It comes as Trump pleads with allies to support his war and help reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which supplies nearly 20 per cent of the world’s fuel.

The US president has attacked European leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, for their reluctance to enter the war - despite also saying the US has already claimed victory and “doesn’t need” the UK’s help.

Overnight, the US President said he was “not happy” with Britain as allies including the UK mulled how to respond to Iran’s blockade of the strait, which is a key global shipping route for oil and gas.

Sir Keir has insisted the UK will not be drawn into a “wider war,” and said he was working with partners including in Europe on a “viable collective plan” to free up navigation in the strategic sea passage.

Britain could potentially provide mine-hunting drones to the mission rather than a warship, although the Prime Minister insisted no final decisions had been made.

“It is a discussion, we are not at a point of decisions yet, I want to really stress that,” he said on Monday.

Speaking on the Prime Minister's alleged offer of an aircraft carrier rather than full warship deployment, Trump told reporters: “I told him we don’t want your aircraft carriers."

Trump has repeatedly said he is unhappy with the UK's stance on the conflict in the Middle East, insisting he was "not happy" with Britain.

Speaking at a press conference later, Trump said the US had considered the UK the “Rolls-Royce of allies” but that its response to the war had been “very disappointing.”