Warnings of possible US use of nuclear weapons against Iran
American commentator Tucker Carlson sparked controversy after warning of the possibility of the Trump administration resorting to nuclear weapons against Iran under Israeli pressure, pointing to a split within the administration between supporters of escalation and diplomacy.
Conservative American commentator Tucker Carlson sparked widespread controversy after warning of the possibility of President Donald Trump's administration launching a nuclear strike on Iran within days, under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Carlson said in a post that garnered over 15 million views within hours that Netanyahu is pressuring Trump and senior administration officials to use nuclear weapons against a uranium enrichment facility in the Mount Bikaks region in central Iran, claiming that the facility's rock fortifications make its destruction with conventional weapons impossible. Carlson linked the potential escalation to the political crisis facing Netanyahu, arguing that his failure to form a coalition government could push him to escalate the confrontation with Iran to maintain his political position and avoid facing judicial investigations. He noted a divergence within the Trump administration over handling the Iranian file, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper pushing for resuming military operations, while Vice President JD Vance and US envoy Steve Witkoff support continuing the diplomatic track and the possibility of reaching an agreement with Tehran. Carlson warned that Washington is heading toward a dangerous turning point, amid talk of changes to US nuclear doctrine that would expand options for using tactical nuclear weapons.