Tucker Carlson says air strikes won’t topple Iran’s regime, so he’s warning that the only way to get ground troops is another 9/11

The US-Israeli war on Iran is now in its twelfth day, and talk of sending American ground troops into the country is growing louder. Television host Tucker Carlson made a striking claim on his YouTube channel, saying that the only way “neoconservatives” could get ground troops into Iran would be to “wait or organize another 9/11-style terrorist attack in the United States to justify it.”

According to EurAsia, Carlson, a long-time Trump supporter and a speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention, also called the joint US-Israel attack on Iran “absolutely disgusting and evil,” warning it “is going to shuffle the deck in a profound way” for Trump’s political movement.

President Trump announced what he called a “massive and ongoing operation” on February 28, 2026, the same day the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. He has threatened “certain death” to any Iranian guard who does not lay down their weapons.

Opposition to the war is coming from both sides of the political spectrum, including from within Trump’s own base

After a closed Senate briefing, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said he was “as dissatisfied and angry as after any other in my 15 years in the Senate,” adding that “it seems that we are moving towards the deployment of American troops on the ground in Iran.” Senator Chris Murphy echoed this, saying officials could not outline any long-term plan.

Criticism is also strong within Trump’s own base. Former Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on social media: “The Trump admin actually asked in a poll how many casualties voters were willing to accept in a war with Iran??? How about ZERO you bunch of sick f—— liars.”

She also questioned the administration’s claims about Iran’s nuclear threat, noting that after “Operation Midnight Hammer” in June 2025, the administration said Iran’s nuclear facilities had been destroyed. Now Trump says Iran still poses a nuclear threat, though US intelligence findings suggest ending the war soon may be nearly impossible. “It’s always a lie and it’s always America Last,” Greene said.

MAGA influencers Keith and Kevin Hodge wrote online that “President Trump has completely LIED to his voters, backstabbed our country and has disgraced his legacy beyond repair.” Several Republican lawmakers, including Representatives Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson, and Senator Rand Paul, have also spoken out, with Massie planning to force a Congressional vote on the war.

Public opinion polls reflect this opposition. A Quinnipiac University poll found around 74 percent of Americans are against sending US troops to Iran, and a Reuters-Ipsos poll showed 43 percent disapproved of the war overall.

Despite this, the administration has not ruled out a ground operation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would need to “physically secure nuclear material” in Iran, meaning “people are going to have to go and get it.” 

Adding to regional tensions, Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz has raised further questions about US naval presence in the area. Military analysts warn that even a limited ground operation would be high-risk and could trigger a “severe response” from Tehran.