Resigned Counterterror Official Criticizes US Policy on Iran

Joe Kent invokes late wife Shannon Kent, killed in a suicide bombing in Syria, in resignation letter

Mar. 18, 2026 at 5:02pm

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Joe Kent, a former National Counterterrorism Center official, has resigned from his position with a pointed critique of U.S. policy on Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent invoked his first wife, Navy linguist Shannon Kent, who was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019 while on her first deployment since having children.

Why it matters

Kent's resignation and criticism of U.S. policy highlight the personal toll of the country's ongoing conflicts and the debate over America's role in the Middle East. His comments have sparked controversy, with some lawmakers accusing him of antisemitism for his assertion that the U.S. is caving to Israeli pressure to go to war with Iran.

The details

Shannon Kent, a New York native who joined the military after 9/11, was a cryptologic warfare chief petty officer assigned to a Navy unit that supports the National Security Agency and special operations forces. Her language skills and rapport made her effective in gathering human intelligence for SEAL and other special operations missions. Kent, a retired Army Special Forces officer, met Shannon briefly in Baghdad in 2007 and they later married, settling near Annapolis with their children. In late 2018, Shannon was shipped off to Syria, where she continued work linked to the NSA. On January 16, 2019, while meeting a source in Manbij, she and three other Americans were killed by a suicide bomber.

  • In January 2019, Shannon Kent was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria.
  • In December 2018, President Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.
  • In 2024, Joe Kent discussed his late wife Shannon in a podcast interview highlighted by the New York Times.
  • This week, Joe Kent resigned from his position at the National Counterterrorism Center.

The players

Joe Kent

A retired Army Special Forces officer with six Bronze Stars across 11 combat deployments, who recently resigned from his position at the National Counterterrorism Center.

Shannon Kent

Joe Kent's first wife, a Navy linguist and cryptologic warfare chief petty officer who was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019 while on her first deployment since having children.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president who ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria in December 2018.

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What they’re saying

“She should have been out of Syria following President Trump's December 2018 withdrawal order and I have criticized what I call the 'administrative state' that was desperately trying to keep us in these conflicts.”

— Joe Kent, Retired Army Special Forces officer

“It's a good thing that he's out because he was very weak on security and wrong in his assertion that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the U.S.”

— Donald Trump

The takeaway

Kent's resignation and criticism of U.S. policy on Iran highlight the ongoing debate over America's role in the Middle East and the personal toll of the country's conflicts. His comments have sparked controversy, underscoring the complex and divisive nature of these issues.