Tucker Carlson warns against Iran war, hints Israel a US 'enemy'

US media commentor Tucker Carlson has warned against a potential US-Iran war, with some suggesting his post hinted that Israel is an "enemy" of the US.

Carlson took to social media site X on Monday to warn that following Trump's tariff policy, "it's clear that now is the worst possible time for the United State to participate in a military strike on Iran".

"Thousands of Americans would die. We’d lose the war that follows. Nothing would be more destructive to our country," Carlson said, blaming Iran hawks from the neoconservative movement for the tensions.

"Anyone advocating for conflict with Iran is not an ally of the United States, but an enemy," he added.

The comments from Carlson, a key figure from US President Donald Trump's MAGA support base, were noted by some commentators as being made against the backdrop of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington on Sunday.

This includes Dina Esfandiary, Middle East lead for Bloomberg Economics, who said on X: "Juuuuust as Netanyahu goes to the White House…", with Senior Analyst for Iran and Energy Gregory Brew making the same note on X.

Meanwhile Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President at the Quincy Institute, said: "Very sharp and on-point message from @TuckerCarlson to Trump as Netanyahu visits the White House."

Following Trumps announcement that the US would enter into negotiations with Iran on the weekend, Netanyahu set out Israel's conditions on Iran's prevention of attaining nuclear weapons: "This can be done in an agreement, but only if… they go in, blow up (Iran's) facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision."

If talks between the two drag, however, "then the military option becomes inevitable", Netanyahu added.

Both Netanyahu and Carlson's comments come in the aftermath of a war of words between Trump and Iran after the former threatened to bomb the country's nuclear facilities if it didn't enter negotiations. Iran responded by verbally threatening US military bases in the region.

Trump's remarks were backed by US troop movements, with the US last week stationing a third of its B-2 bomber fleet in Diego Garcia and in range of operations against Iran in a bid to exert pressure to pursue negotiations.

US B-2 stealth bombers can drop GBU-57 bunker busting munitions that can penetrate Iran’s hardened nuclear facilities.

However, talks between the two sides are set to begin in Oman on Saturday, which Trump announced during a press conference with Netanyahu in the White House on Monday.