Political commentator Tucker Carlson has argued that the conflict with Iran sends a message that countries without nuclear weapons are more vulnerable to U.S. military intervention.
Speaking in a video posted on Stephen A. Smith’s YouTube channel on Thursday, July 23, 2026, Carlson contrasted Iran with North Korea, saying the latter is not considered for invasion despite its human rights record because it possesses nuclear weapons.
“When you have a nuclear weapon and you’re North Korea, a Stalinist slave state, we leave you alone. No one’s arguing for an invasion of North Korea. So what’s the incentive for every nation on the planet? It’s to get nuclear weapons as soon as possible, or else get regime change by the United States,” Carlson said.
Carlson argued that the war could encourage more countries to pursue nuclear weapons, claiming the conflict had created the opposite effect of its stated objective of preventing nuclear proliferation. He predicted Iran would eventually acquire nuclear weapons, either by developing them domestically or obtaining them elsewhere, given what he described as the country’s existing technical capability.
