US commentator Tucker Carlson claims Netanyahu is pressuring Trump for nuclear strike on Iran

US conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing US President Donald Trump to consider a nuclear strike against Iran, claiming that a suspected underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran could be targeted.

In a lengthy post on X on Sunday, Carlson claimed that the Trump administration could be days away from considering such an attack. He alleged that Netanyahu had been lobbying senior US officials to resume military operations against Tehran rather than pursue a diplomatic settlement.

Carlson claims Netanyahu is pushing for nuclear attack

“Under pressure from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran. The target would be Pickax Mountain in central Iran, where Israeli intelligence claims the Iranian government has restarted its nuclear enrichment program,” Carlson wrote.

He argued that conventional American weapons would be unable to penetrate the underground facility, leaving a nuclear strike as the only military option.

“No conventional weapon in the American arsenal can penetrate 300 feet of solid granite to destroy the tunnels where enrichment is supposedly taking place. The only military option is a nuclear strike. Netanyahu has been pushing hard for one,” Carlson claimed.

He added that an informed observer told him, “Bibi calls Trump about it every day.”

Carlson also alleged that Netanyahu’s domestic political circumstances were influencing his position on Iran, claiming that the Israeli Prime Minister was seeking continued support from Trump.

“Netanyahu is cornered and desperate. After last week’s election results, he can’t form a government unless Trump intervenes directly in Israeli politics and brokers a deal with other parties that gives Netanyahu 61 seats in the Knesset. Otherwise, he is out as prime minister and on his way to ignominy, investigations and possibly jail. Netanyahu must stay close to Trump. He needs this war,” he wrote.

Under pressure from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran. The target would be Pickax Mountain in central Iran, where Israeli intelligence claims the Iranian government has restarted its nuclear enrichment program. No conventional weapon in the American arsenal can penetrate 300 feet of solid granite to destroy the tunnels where enrichment is supposedly taking place. The only military option is a nuclear strike. Netanyahu has been pushing hard for one. “Bibi calls Trump about it every day,” says an informed observer. Netanyahu is cornered and desperate. After last week’s election results, he can’t form a government unless Trump intervenes directly in Israeli politics and brokers a deal with other parties that gives Netanyahu 61 seats in the Knesset. Otherwise, he is out as prime minister and on his way to ignominy, investigations and possibly jail. Netanyahu must stay close to Trump. He needs this war. To that end, he’s applied maximum pressure to his closest allies in the administration, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper. Both oppose a negotiated settlement to the war they’ve so grievously mismanaged; both are pushing to restart major combat operations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA director John Ratcliffe are also following Netanyahu’s lead, as are leaders of the Democratic Party. In a recent meeting on the subject, former president Barack Obama said he opposes the current Iran peace deal being drafted in Doha. The rest of America’s longtime allies in the Middle East are terrified by the prospect of more war. On September 27th, Netanyahu flew secretly to Abu Dhabi to enlist the UAE in his lobbying effort for a final attack on Iran. The Emiratis refused. After eight months of conflict, Gulf economies are teetering. So are global energy and fertilizer markets. They won’t recover soon. Globally, there are a total of about 850 supertankers used to transport oil from producers to the rest of the world. In October alone, 11 of them were badly damaged in Hormuz. At this pace, a global depression is imminent. A nuclear strike would radically accelerate the destruction. Fallout from a ground explosion at Pickax Mountain would contaminate the Persian Gulf, poisoning the water supply for 100 million people. And those are just some of the immediate consequences for the region. The rest of the world is every bit as exposed. No country other than the United States has ever used a nuclear weapon in war. Some would like to. An American nuclear attack on Iran would set a new precedent. The Russians have already told at least two other governments that an American nuclear strike on Iran would free them to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Pakistan and India would be tempted to do the same against each other, as would North Korea against Seoul. After the first nuclear strike, World War Three is inevitable. That war would be short and final. We’ve been sleepwalking toward this moment for months. Since February, the administration has quietly rewritten America’s nuclear doctrine to make first use of so-called “battlefield nukes” easier and therefore more likely. No one in Washington in either party seems bothered by this. Now we’re on the brink of it. Close observers say Trump is likely to decide by next weekend whether or not to use nuclear weapons. That would be November 7, six days from now. To his credit, he’s hesitating. At the moment, Trump is listening to his vice president, JD Vance, and to his envoy and friend Steve Witkoff, both of whom argue a deal with Iran can be made. They’re right, though it won’t be simple. The Iranians are famously frustrating to negotiate with under any circumstances, and elements of that government have become more radical since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family were killed in February. After decades of isolation, even relatively moderate Iranian leaders seem confused by how decisions are made in the West. (There is a widespread belief in Tehran, for example, that the United States government controls Israel.) But overall, people who have spoken to decision-makers in Iran say there is consensus there that more war is bad for everyone and a deal is worth making. One group that hasn’t been consulted so far is the global population — the hundreds of millions of people who will be killed along with their children if Trump is pushed by Netanyahu into launching a nuclear strike next week. Now would be the time for them to speak up.

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 2, 2026

Carlson names senior US officials in allegations

The commentator further alleged that Netanyahu had pressured senior members of the Trump administration, including US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper.

Carlson claimed that both officials opposed a negotiated settlement and favoured restarting major combat operations against Iran.

He also named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, alleging that they were following Netanyahu’s position. Carlson further claimed that former US President Barack Obama had opposed the proposed Iran peace agreement during a recent meeting.

These claims were made in Carlson’s post and have not been independently verified.

Warning of regional and global economic fallout

Carlson warned that renewed military action against Iran, particularly a nuclear strike, could have severe consequences for the Middle East and the global economy.

He claimed that Gulf countries were concerned about the prospect of another conflict, adding that the United Arab Emirates had refused to join Netanyahu’s alleged lobbying effort for a fresh attack on Iran.

The commentator also highlighted the potential impact on global energy and fertiliser markets, claiming that damage to oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz could worsen economic disruptions.

He further alleged that a nuclear strike on Pickaxe Mountain could contaminate the Persian Gulf and affect the water supply of millions of people.

Carlson warned that an American nuclear strike against Iran could establish a dangerous international precedent, potentially encouraging other countries to consider using nuclear weapons.

He also claimed that the Trump administration had been revising America’s nuclear doctrine since February to make the first use of so-called “battlefield nukes” easier.

Carlson says Trump could decide by November 7

Carlson claimed that Trump could make a decision on the possible use of nuclear weapons by November 7, while suggesting that the US President was still weighing diplomatic options.

“Close observers say Trump is likely to decide by next weekend whether or not to use nuclear weapons. That would be November 7, six days from now. To his credit, he’s hesitating,” Carlson wrote.

He added that Trump was listening to Vice President JD Vance and US envoy Steve Witkoff, who, according to Carlson, were advocating a negotiated agreement with Iran.

Carlson also claimed that people familiar with Iranian decision-makers believed there was a consensus that further conflict would be detrimental and that a negotiated settlement was worth pursuing.

Axios reports Netanyahu-Trump talks on Iran strikes

Carlson’s allegations come amid reports of renewed discussions between Netanyahu and Trump over the possibility of resuming military operations against Iran following the US midterm elections.

According to a report by Axios, Netanyahu has urged Trump to launch fresh military strikes against Iran immediately after Tuesday’s US midterm elections, amid concerns in Israel over Washington’s continued pursuit of a diplomatic solution with Tehran.

Axios reported that Trump and Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Saturday to discuss the progress of US negotiations with Iran and the possibility of resuming military operations.

An Israeli source described the conversation as “tough”, while a US source characterised it as “direct”.

According to Axios, Netanyahu is pushing for renewed military action after the midterms, while Trump wants negotiations with Tehran to continue for now.

The report further stated that Trump is pursuing parallel diplomatic and military strategies, seeking an agreement to restart peace talks while keeping preparations underway for a possible resumption of major combat operations after the elections.