Following US National Counterterrorism Center director Joseph Kent’s objection to the ongoing war in Iran and his resultant resignation, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wants US President Donald Trump to be declared a war criminal and to be held accountable before international legal institutions.

On Tuesday, Kent announced his resignation as director with immediate effect, citing that he “cannot in a good conscience” support the ongoing war in Iran, asserting that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US and attributing the conflict to external geopolitical pressures.

In his resignation letter, Kent stated that the US entered the war owing to pressure from Israel and "its powerful American lobby", describing it as a “manufactured conflict.”

The EFF said Kent’s letter was a “damning confirmation” that the war against Iran was “illegal, unjustified and built on deliberate misinformation”.

The party said it was significant that this indictment came from an individual appointed by Trump, pointing to fractures in the highest levels of US security and intelligence.

“The resignation corroborates prior statements from within the Pentagon and intelligence community that there was no credible or verifiable threat posed by Iran,” the EFF said.

It further noted that this development affirmed the party’s long-held position regarding the geopolitical dynamics between the US and Israel.

“The letter explicitly points to undue influence in driving the war agenda, reinforcing the reality that US foreign policy in the Middle East is not guided by principles of peace or justice, but by a strategic control by Israel that priorities imperial interests over human life,” the EFF said.

The party maintained that “no meaningful diplomatic engagement” could normalise South Africa's relations with the US while South Africa, through its case at the International Court of Justice, tried to hold Israel accountable for its crimes.

In December 2023, the South African government instituted legal proceedings against Israel, stating that its military operations in Gaza violated the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

“Any expectation that South Africa must compromise its moral and legal obligations to appease imperial powers is both misguided and unacceptable.

“The time has come for the global community to reject the normalisation of war crimes and to demand a stop to all US- and Israel-led military actions,” the EFF added.

Meanwhile, Trump responded to Kent’s resignation, stating that he found him “weak on security”, and that it was a good thing that he had resigned.