Live updates: Trump says 'very good' Iran talks, hints at 'total resolution'

The Trump administration's top counterterrorism official Joe Kent announced his resignation Tuesday over opposition to the Iran war, becoming the highest-profile administration official to step down publicly over the conflict.

In a resignation letter posted publicly on social media, Kent said he could not "in good conscience" support the war, which is now in its third week.

"Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," Kent, who served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, wrote in his resignation letter.

The National Counterterrorism Center is housed within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. ABC News has reached out to ODNI for comment.

A tanker at anchor off the coast of the United Arab Emirates was struck on Tuesday by "falling debris" rather than a projectile, as had previously been thought, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre said in an updated advisory.

The vessel, which has not been publicly identified, was "subjected to falling debris from interceptions in the vicinity of the vessel," UKMTO said.

There was "minor" damage to the vessel and the crew were reported as safe, the organization said.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that Ali Larijani, the influential Iranian security official who'd been a key representative of former Supreme Leader Ali Khomenei, was killed in a "precise" Israeli aerial strike.

The IDF statement followed the Israeli defense minister's announcement of the death.

"Following the elimination of Khamenei, Larijani consolidated his status as the de facto leader of the Iranian regime and led the combat efforts against the State of Israel and countries across the region," the IDF said in a statement.

Describing him as the "de facto leader" of the Iranian regime, the IDF said that Larijani was killed by an Israeli Air Force strike near Tehran.

Israel described Larijani's death as a "further blow" to the Iranian leadership's abilities to manage the war against the U.S. and Israel.

More Israel Defense Forces troops have been deployed in Lebanon, where Israel yesterday began a "limited" ground operation targeting what it described as Hezbollah "strongholds."

"Additional IDF troops have been deployed in Lebanon, continuing efforts to establish a forward defense posture in order to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel against Hezbollah's threat," the IDF said on Tuesday.