Prominent American journalist Tucker Carlson has cautioned that recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities — reportedly backed by former US President Donald Trump — could trigger a large-scale war in the Middle East.
The air raids, carried out by Israeli fighter jets early Friday, prompted a swift retaliation from Tehran in the form of drone and missile attacks on Israeli cities. The violent exchange comes at a critical time for nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, which had been revived under Trump’s guidance earlier this year.
In what he described as potentially his “last update before open warfare begins,” Carlson claimed that the United States, through its longstanding support for Israel, bears partial responsibility for the conflict.
“Even if the US military didn’t directly carry out the attacks, its financial and military assistance to Israel — something Trump proudly highlighted on Truth Social — clearly implicates Washington in the operation,” Carlson wrote in his newsletter.
He added, “This wasn’t a surprise. The US government was well aware of what was coming and played a supporting role. Politicians who claim to put America first can’t now pretend they had no hand in this.”
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Carlson emphasized that the core issue is not about choosing sides between Iran and Israel but about identifying those who push for peace versus those advocating war. “The real division is between peacemakers and those eager for military escalation,” he said.
According to Carlson, the “warmongers” include high-profile conservative media figures such as Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, as well as billionaire influencers like Rupert Murdoch, Ike Perlmutter, and Miriam Adelson — all of whom have pushed for a stronger US military role in the conflict.
Although the US State Department has officially denied any involvement in the Israeli operation, Trump admitted he was briefed beforehand and praised the strikes as “very effective.” He pointed to Iran’s unwillingness to accept the terms of a proposed nuclear agreement as justification for the escalation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, addressed the UN Security Council and placed blame squarely on the US and its Western allies, accusing them of enabling Israel’s actions and holding them “fully accountable” for the consequences.
The real divide isn’t between people who support Israel and people who support Iran or the Palestinians. The real divide is between those who casually encourage violence, and those who seek to prevent it — between warmongers and peacemakers. Who are the warmongers? They would…
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 13, 2025