The resignation of Joe Kent as director of the National Counterterrorism Center was met with mockery within Donald Trump's administration, making it unlikely to influence internal disagreements or alter the course of the war with Iran, The Guardian reports.

Several of Trump's senior advisers had long made clear they did not take Kent or his views seriously — a fact underscored by his absence from any major operation or policy decision during Trump's second term.

Nevertheless, his high-profile departure irritated, including among former colleagues.

Kent resigned, stating that Iran had not posed an imminent threat to U.S. security. "My conscience will not allow me to support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran did not pose an imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war under pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," he said.

As AP notes, Kent — a former political candidate with ties to far-right extremists — was confirmed to his post in July of last year by a vote of 52 to 44. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, he led the agency responsible for analyzing and identifying terrorist threats.

His resignation reflects growing concern within Trump's electoral base about the war, and shows that questions about its justification extend beyond traditional criticism to include even the right flank of Trump's supporters and senior members of his administration.

The leadership change at one of the U.S.'s key counterterrorism bodies comes amid heightened fears of domestic terrorism following attacks last week at a synagogue in Michigan and a university in Virginia.

Trump has offered varying explanations for the strikes and rejected claims that Israel pressured the U.S. to act. Earlier this month, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the White House believed Israel was prepared to act unilaterally, placing the president before "a very difficult decision."

Democrats had strongly opposed Kent's appointment, citing his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. Yet following his resignation, Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said his concerns about the war with Iran were warranted. "I strongly disagree with many of his positions, especially those that risk politicizing our intelligence community. But in this case, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify hastily dragging the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East."

Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel are expected to appear before lawmakers later this week at the annual global threats hearing.

This year, the focus is expected to center on the war with Iran — in particular, reports that outdated intelligence may have led to a U.S. strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed more than 165 people.

Gabbard had previously criticized the idea of military strikes against Iran. Six years ago, she stated: "A full-scale war with Iran will make the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a walk in the park. It will be far more costly in lives — American lives and taxpayer dollars — and to what end? To achieve what mission?"