Tucker Carlson says Israel seeks regional hegemony through Iran war

Right-wing political commentator Tucker Carlson has claimed that Israel pushed for war with Iran as part of a strategy to establish regional hegemony, arguing that the conflict also serves to weaken Gulf Arab states and reduce US military influence in the Persian Gulf.

In an interview with Going Underground, Carlson said Israel's objectives included expanding its borders and eliminating threats posed by Iran and its regional allies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, says the Middle East Eye.

Carlson also argued that Israel views the economic growth and development of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - as a "massive threat" to its regional dominance.

He rejected the view that US military bases in the Gulf primarily benefit Israel, instead describing them as "control mechanisms" or "leashes" that constrain Israel's freedom of action.

Carlson said a central objective of the conflict was therefore to force a US military withdrawal from the Gulf.

Carlson said he had warned US President Donald Trump about his assessment during a meeting in the Oval Office around February 20. He said he told Trump that the push for war was driven by a desire for Israeli regional hegemony and warned him that "this is actually aimed at us".

Carlson also questioned why Trump had allowed events to unfold in a way that severely damaged Gulf states, given the president's warm personal relationships with their leaders.

The conflict has had wider consequences across the Gulf. According to the information cited by Carlson, Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at targets across all six GCC states, spreading the financial and logistical costs of the war across the region.

Saudi Arabia also closed its East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks attributed to militants based in Iraq, while key energy infrastructure across the region sustained damage.

Satellite imagery analysis cited in the source found that at least 228 buildings or pieces of equipment at US military sites in the region had been damaged or destroyed.

Persistent attacks on US military facilities have also prompted the Pentagon to evaluate whether Washington should reduce its military presence in the Persian Gulf.

Gulf states, meanwhile, have been recalibrating foreign investments as the financial costs of the conflict reduce revenues, seeking to preserve their economic influence globally while managing increased wartime spending.