FBI Targets Ex-Trump Intel Chief: Joe Kent Faces Leak Probe After Explosive Iran War Resignation

By Editorial Team, March 19, 2026

Jonathan Weiss, Shutterstock

In a stunning twist shaking Washington, the FBI has launched an investigation into Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), over allegations he improperly leaked classified information.

The probe, confirmed by multiple sources across major outlets including NBC News, The New York Times, AP, and CBS, predates Kent's dramatic resignation on March 17, 2026, making it a preemptive strike amid the fallout from his public break with the Trump administration.

Kent, a retired Green Beret and longtime Trump ally, abruptly quit his high-profile post in protest over the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, now in its third week.

In a blistering resignation letter posted on X, he declared he "cannot in good conscience" support the conflict, asserting that Iran posed "no imminent threat" to the United States. He went further, accusing the administration of launching the war under "pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby", a claim that directly contradicted White House justifications and drew swift rebukes from President Trump and allies like CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Trump called him "weak on security" and officials emphasize he was not involved in operational decisions on Iran strikes. Yet the timing of the FBI inquiry, handled by the bureau's Criminal Division and reportedly underway for months, has fueled speculation of political retaliation. Sources stress the investigation focuses on potential unauthorized disclosures of sensitive intelligence, though specifics remain classified.

Kent's exit marks the highest-level defection yet in the Trump administration over the Iran conflict, spotlighting internal rifts as energy prices soar and the war drags on. He has since appeared on Tucker Carlson's show, defending his stance and urging a course reversal. The FBI declined comment, but the case underscores the high-stakes tension between loyalty, dissent, and national security in Trump's second term.

As scrutiny intensifies, Kent's saga could deepen divisions in intelligence circles and complicate the administration's messaging on the Middle East crisis.