Trump could launch nuclear strike on Iran within days: US journo warns

Washington: US commentator Tucker Carlson has claimed that President Donald Trump could launch a nuclear strike against Iran within days under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that the proposed attack could trigger a dangerous global nuclear escalation, according to reports.

In a lengthy post on X, Carlson alleged that Netanyahu was pressing Trump to target Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground facility linked to Iran's nuclear programme near Natanz. He claimed that the site, protected by approximately 300 feet of solid granite, could not be destroyed using conventional American weapons.

Carlson alleged that Netanyahu was contacting Trump daily to push for renewed military action, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also backing the move. He linked Netanyahu's alleged pressure campaign to his political difficulties following the latest Israeli elections.

Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling short of the 61 required for a parliamentary majority. The opposition bloc won 48 seats, leaving coalition negotiations crucial to forming the next government.

However, Carlson's nuclear-strike allegation remains unverified, with neither Washington nor Jerusalem confirming that such an attack is being considered.

Trump had explicitly ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran in an October 16 interview with Newsmax, saying conventional weapons could be used against Pickaxe Mountain. He also clarified that the massive GBU-43/B, known as the 'Mother of All Bombs', is not nuclear.

Carlson warned that an American nuclear attack could establish a dangerous precedent, potentially encouraging Russia, India, Pakistan and North Korea to consider nuclear strikes in their own conflicts.