Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is sounding the alarm, claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring President Trump to launch a nuclear strike on Iran, and that a decision could come within days.
In a lengthy post on X early Monday, Carlson wrote that the Trump administration “may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran” under pressure from Netanyahu.
Carlson claimed Netanyahu has been pushing hard for the strike, citing an unnamed “informed observer” who said the Israeli leader calls Trump about it every day.
According to Carlson, the potential target is Pickaxe Mountain, an alleged underground enrichment site in central Iran where Israeli intelligence reportedly believes Tehran has resumed nuclear work. Carlson argued that no conventional American weapon could reach the facility, leaving a nuclear strike as the only military option on the table. He claimed Trump could decide whether to use nuclear weapons by Nov. 7.
Carlson tied the alleged pressure campaign to Netanyahu’s political troubles at home, claiming the prime minister has been unable to form a governing coalition after last week’s Israeli election. “Netanyahu is cornered and desperate,” Carlson wrote, adding that the Israeli leader “needs this war.”
The commentator warned that a U.S. nuclear strike would make a third world war inevitable, arguing other nations would treat it as permission to launch their own strikes. He specifically raised the possibility that Russia could use an American strike as justification to deploy nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
Carlson also claimed Trump is hesitating. He said Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff are arguing that a deal with Iran can still be reached through negotiations. Carlson urged the public to speak out against any use of nuclear weapons.
Carlson’s claims have not been independently verified, and reports on his post did not include any response from the White House or Netanyahu’s office.
Separately, Axios reported, citing U.S. and Israeli sources, that Trump for now wants to let negotiations with Iran play out. The outlet also reported that Trump and Netanyahu held a tough call Saturday about U.S. talks with Iran and how quickly to return to combat.
Carlson has emerged as one of the most prominent voices on the right warning against deeper U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. He previously broke with the president over Israel’s strikes on Iran, accusing Trump of being complicit in an act of war, a stance that put him at odds with other conservatives who have strongly backed the administration’s approach to Tehran.
The latest claims landed on the eve of the midterm elections, as the administration balances diplomacy with Iran against pressure from one of America’s closest allies.
