Trump’s nuclear strike on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain to trigger World War III? Tucker Carlson’s warning explained

American conservative commentator Tucker Carlson claimed on Sunday (local time) that the US might launch a nuclear strike against Iran, targeting Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, and warned that such a move could trigger World War III.

In a post on X, Carlson claimed that the use of a nuclear weapon by the United States would encourage other nuclear-armed countries to launch attacks of their own.

Carlson alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pressing Trump to authorise a strike on Pickaxe Mountain, where Israeli intelligence claims Iran has resumed uranium enrichment. He argued that conventional US weapons could not penetrate the deeply buried facility, presenting a nuclear strike as the only military option.

He wrote, “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.”

Carlson also alleged that the administration had quietly changed US nuclear policy since February to make the first use of tactical nuclear weapons easier. He criticised politicians from both parties for failing to challenge what he described as a growing risk of nuclear conflict.

He wrote, “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.”

Trump renews warning of strikes against Iran

Carlson’s warnings come as US President Donald Trump has renewed his threats to launch fresh strikes against Iran. On Sunday (local time), at a rally in Iowa, Trump said, “And the only reason why I’m not finished with Iran is I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can…But at some point we’re going to have to give them the hammer.”

He previously made similar remarks while addressing reporters in Washington, saying, “Do you really think I’m going to tell you if I’m going to do it?” He added, “And there’s a possibility I will. There’s also a possibility we’ll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement.”

The US President has previously maintained that he would decide the future course of action with Iran once the US midterm elections are concluded.

While it remains unclear whether Russia would launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine if the US used nuclear weapons against Iran, Russian officials have previously issued conditional nuclear threats during the war in Ukraine.

What has Russia previously said about using nuclear weapons?

According to a July 2023 Reuters report, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would have to use a nuclear weapon against Ukraine if Kyiv’s counteroffensive at the time succeeded. He made these remarks in a message posted on his social media accounts, adding that Moscow would fall back on its nuclear doctrine in such a scenario.

Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, a body chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said, “Imagine if the… offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land, then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia.” He added, “There would simply be no other option. So our enemies should pray for our warriors’ success. They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited.”

His remarks referred to territory Russia had unilaterally annexed from Ukraine and declared its own, a move condemned by Kyiv and much of the West. His statement was a conditional threat, rather than an announcement of a decision to launch a nuclear attack.