"You might always fantasize that American hegemony will come to an end one day, and it is most likely to happen in a fierce conflict with another major power... like a conflict with China over the Taiwan issue."
But you probably don’t realize that the end of the American empire will occur during a conflict that lasts for over a hundred days. And the opponent is a small country in the Persian Gulf, Iran, which ranks 34th in economic size worldwide.
The above confession, filled with resentment, comes from Tucker Carlson, a well-known conservative media figure in the United States. This person, who was long regarded as the most effective spokesperson for MAGA, and who fought bravely on the conservative media front for the MAGA camp, has now become one of the iconic voices that openly question and even undermine Trump’s foreign policy.
The rift between him and Trump particularly manifested in the United States' decision to wage war against Iran.
In a 80-minute podcast episode released on June 18th, Carlson expressed his dissatisfaction and resentment towards Trump’s policies regarding Iran.
He analyzed the 14 items in the US-Iran memorandum in detail, condemning this as not a victory for the United States, but a defeat. He believes that this means the United States is withdrawing from the Middle East order, while Iran is being reclassified as a regional power. This change could even be a historic turning point. He compared this situation to the Suez Canal crisis in 1956, stating that that crisis marked a structural turning point in British imperial influence. The current situation could also become a historical milestone for the decline of the United States' global dominance.
Carlson said in the program that generation after generation of Americans have been taught from a young age that Iran is "crazy, dangerous, but insignificant," and that it has no ability to challenge America's dominance in the world. However, no one expected the situation we find ourselves in today.
Carlson expressed his dissatisfaction with the Iraq-American War in a podcast program.
Before the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran on the 19th, both parties announced the official text of the memorandum. This document contains 14 articles, which detail the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the relaxation of certain financial restrictions on Iran. It also outlines the expected goals for resolving Iran's nuclear issue during future technical talks.
"Upon reading the text, everyone will find it hard to believe." Carlson said, as Iran’s official notes were released, and their contents matched those of anonymous U.S. officials who disclosed them to journalists.
He described that this memorandum not only indicated how this still-unfinished war would end, but also revealed in greater detail the relative positions of the United States and Iran in the global order. The impact of this document was beyond imagination. To be honest, it’s understandable why the new conservatives are so furious over this.
Carlson mentioned 14 points during his presentation.
For example, in the first clause regarding “both parties agree not to initiate any wars or military actions against each other from now on,” Israel is not mentioned at all, while Lebanon is mentioned three times. Iran is clearly indicating that in order to reach an agreement on the remaining clauses, the United States must compel Israeli troops to withdraw from Lebanon and stop attacking Lebanese civilians. It seems that the US is prepared to sign this clause.
He stated that the second clause, which states that "the United States and Iran promise to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never interfere in each other's internal affairs," is of great significance. This means that the United States will no longer consider Iran a so-called "terrorist rogue state," but rather a normal country with strong sovereignty, which equates to recognizing Iran's right to independently decide its own governance model. Compared to the U.S. media's daily depiction of Iran in a negative light, this shift is truly a complete transformation.
As for the fourth clause regarding “the United States immediately lifting the naval blockade against Iran,” Carlson bluntly stated that this is not a victory for the United States. It is a retreat, a withdrawal, and a compromise. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, this is an objective fact. This is by no means an unconditional surrender by Iran.
Carlson said that this memorandum precisely illustrates that 'this war should not have been launched from the beginning, and its outcome was already determined.'
He said that Israel would never want to see such an agreement: its only global ally and backer, the United States, openly recognizes Iran as an independent ancient civilization with full say in matters of energy, and cannot be completely suppressed. In the future, both countries will jointly control the most important energy routes in the world. The leaked memo itself indicates that the US officials have officially recognized Iran’s regional leadership role, thereby rewriting the global landscape.
Just as the Suez Canal crisis of 1956, which was a war surrounding the key shipping channel, that crisis directly proclaimed the fall of the British Empire. Carlson said.
In fact, Carlson has expressed his dissatisfaction with Trump’s decision to wage war against Iran several times over the past few months.
In an interview published in The New York Times in early May, Carlson openly stated that he was originally a supporter of Trump. However, after the war broke out, he began to believe that the decision to go to war seriously violated the principle of 'America First'.
He revealed that during several private conversations with Trump, Trump was not actually 'enthusiastic' about going to war with Iran. He even understood the catastrophic consequences that a war could bring. However, he was ultimately pushed towards conflict by external pressures.
Carlson attributed this pressure mainly to American politics, media, and powerful lobby groups that support Israel. He specifically mentioned the role played by some media moguls and political influencers in shaping decisions.
In the interview, he further criticized the United States' foreign policy mechanisms, arguing that the president is not truly "autonomous" in making key war decisions, but rather makes choices under the influence of multiple interest groups. Therefore, he believes that this war with Iran is not merely a strategic choice, but a result of the failure of the American political structure.
Meanwhile, Carlson also expressed serious differences with Trump, saying that this war forced him to re-evaluate Trump and his political stance. He even openly expressed regret for having supported Trump in the past.
In early June, when participating in the podcast show “Megan Kelly Show,” Carlson once again mentioned his discussions with Trump regarding Iran.
Carlson revealed during the show that he had personally warned Trump—that those who constantly urged the United States to use force against Iran were precisely the same people who had “longed to hate him,” and that Trump was well aware of this.
He told the host, “I said at that time, ‘Listen, (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu hates you.’ Everyone knows that. The two of them simply don’t get along.”
Subsequently, Karlsen cited a series of conservative figures and media personalities supportive of Iran's hard-line policy, including Rupert Murdoch (Rupert Murdoch), conservative commentator Marc Thiessen, Ben Shapiro, and Mark Levin on radio.
He emphasized that the individuals he identified were not traditional political opponents of Democrats or Trump, but rather figures who have been active within the American conservative camp and have influence over Republican voters.
Carlson also said that he then further told Trump: “Those who forced you to do this want to destroy you. They are doing it on behalf of Israel.”
