Trump's top intelligence official under fire after counter terror chief resigns over Iran war
It comes as Trump faces growing criticism at home and abroad over his decision to join Israel's war on Iran
Donald Trump’s National Intelligence Director is likely to come under growing pressure after his top counter terror offical resigned over the war in Iran.
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Tulsi Gabbard is facing mounting scrutiny after her political ally Joe Kent said Tehran never posed an "imminent threat” to the United States as he slammed Mr Trump's war in his resignation letter.
Sharing his letter to X on Tuesday, the former counter-terrorism chief said: “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."
Ms Gabbard is set to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, just one day after Mr Kent's explosvie resignation.
The former democrat built her political career as an outspoken critic of “regime change” wars, previously endorsing Mr Trump's former foreign policy stance of no "forever wars".
The committee is expected to grill her about the president’s U-turn on this 2024 election pledge and whether she feels betrayed by the latest developments in the conflict.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
But on Tuesday, she defended Mr Trump's military action in the Middile East - as the president faces growing criticism at home and abroad over what is seemingly becoming another ill-planned intervention in the region.
“Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to be our President and Commander in Chief," Ms Gabbard wrote on X.
She added: “As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country.”
Ms Gabbard said that her office “is responsible for helping coordinate and integrate all intelligence to provide the President and Commander in Chief with the best information available to inform his decisions.”
“After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion,” she said.
But she did not say whether intelligence had come to the same conclusion as the president.
It comes as a resurfaced tweet Ms Gabbard posted on May 16, 2019, saw her hit out at Mr Trump for sabre-rattling against Tehran during his first term
At the time, she was the Democratic congresswoman for Hawaii and running as presidential candidate for the party.
"Trump promised to get the U.S. out of ‘stupid wars,’” she wrote.
“But now he and [then-national security adviser] John Bolton are on the brink of launching us into a very stupid and costly war with Iran. Join me in sending a strong message to President Trump: The U.S. must NOT go to war with Iran.”
Meanwhile, Mr Trump has pleaded 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.
Mr Trump 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 military said it hit Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz with powerful bombs capable of penetrating bunkers.
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."
Mr 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.”
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