Tucker Carlson Warns of Possible Nuclear Strike on Iran Within Days — Markets and Energy Supply at Risk.
Tucker Carlson claimed early Monday that the Trump administration is under intense pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch a nuclear strike on Iran within days, targeting a deeply buried facility at Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran.
In a lengthy post on X that quickly gained widespread attention, Carlson said Israeli intelligence alleges that Iran has restarted nuclear enrichment at the site. He argued that no conventional U.S. weapon can penetrate the roughly 300 feet of solid granite protecting the tunnels, leaving a nuclear strike as the only military option. An “informed observer” quoted by Carlson said Netanyahu “calls Trump about it every day.”
Netanyahu’s Political Pressure and Administration Dynamics
Carlson portrayed Netanyahu as politically cornered after recent Israeli election results. He said the Israeli leader cannot form a government without direct intervention by Trump to secure a coalition with 61 seats in the Knesset. Without that support, Carlson wrote, Netanyahu faces potential investigations and loss of power.
According to the post, Netanyahu has pressed senior U.S. figures including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper, both of whom Carlson said favor restarting major combat operations over a negotiated settlement. He also named Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe as aligning with Netanyahu’s position, and claimed that former President Barack Obama has opposed a current Iran peace draft being discussed in Doha.
Carlson noted that Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff are counseling restraint and arguing that a deal with Iran remains possible. He said Trump is currently listening to them and has not yet decided.
Economic and Regional Risks Highlighted
The post devoted significant attention to potential economic fallout. Carlson wrote that Gulf economies are already strained after months of conflict, with global energy and fertilizer markets under pressure. He cited damage to 11 oil supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz in October alone and warned that the current trajectory points toward a global depression. A nuclear strike, he argued, would accelerate that damage.
Carlson further claimed that radioactive fallout from a ground-level nuclear explosion at Pickaxe Mountain could contaminate the Persian Gulf and threaten water supplies for roughly 100 million people. He also warned that an American nuclear first use would set a dangerous precedent, potentially freeing Russia to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine and increasing risks of nuclear conflict involving India, Pakistan, and North Korea. He described the scenario as one that could make “World War Three… inevitable.”
Close observers cited in the post said Trump is likely to decide by next weekend—November 7—whether to authorize nuclear use. Carlson said the U.S. has quietly revised its nuclear doctrine since February to make first use of tactical nuclear weapons easier, a change he said has drawn little opposition in Washington from either party.
Context on Pickaxe Mountain
Pickaxe Mountain (also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La), located near the Natanz nuclear complex in Isfahan province, has been under construction since 2020. Iran has described the underground facility as intended for centrifuge production and assembly. Western analysts have long assessed it as a hardened site potentially capable of supporting enrichment or related nuclear activities, with tunnels estimated at significant depth under granite.
President Trump has previously identified Pickaxe Mountain as a remaining potential target, stating that U.S. forces could address one or two remaining Iranian nuclear-related sites quickly. Satellite imagery analyses from groups such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Institute for Science and International Security have documented ongoing construction and hardening at the site through 2026, though independent verification of current activities inside the tunnels remains limited.
Carlson’s claims have not been independently confirmed by the White House or other official sources. The post has drawn strong reactions, including a reply from former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene calling a nuclear strike “crimes against humanity” that “must be stopped.”
For businesses, the scenario outlined by Carlson raises immediate concerns about oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, energy price volatility, fertilizer and commodity markets, and broader geopolitical risk premia in global equities and credit. Markets have already shown sensitivity to Middle East escalation risks throughout 2026; confirmation or denial of the claims in the coming days is likely to influence trading.
Carlson concluded by urging public opposition, writing that the global population has not been consulted on a decision that could have catastrophic consequences.
(Note: This article reports Carlson’s assertions as claims. Independent verification from official U.S., Israeli, or Iranian sources was not available at the time of publication.)
