The journalist stated that America should “act with honor” and admit its mistakes whenever it is in the wrong.
American journalist Tucker Carlson said that the United States is “not worth fighting for” if it carried out the bombing of an Iranian school but refuses to take responsibility.
During his YouTube podcast on Tuesday, Carlson emphasized that the country cannot claim the moral high ground if it avoids recognizing civilian casualties. He was referring to an attack on a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on February 28, the first day of large – scale US – Israeli attacks on Iran. Iranian reports stated that more than 160 people were killed.
Several investigations by American media outlets have indicated that the strike involved a US Tomahawk cruise missile. President Donald Trump has rejected this allegation and suggested that Iran itself might be responsible.
Carlson said that the United States must “behave with honor” if it wants to maintain moral credibility. He added that if the schoolgirls were killed accidentally, Washington should publicly admit it instead of denying involvement.
He called for a full investigation into the matter to confirm that the attack was indeed a “tragic mistake,” pointing out the school’s location next to an Iranian military compound and noting that it was apparently the preferred institution for officers’ children.
Carlson continued that an open admission of the mistake would enable the US to preserve its honor. “Because if you wake up in the morning and you’re living in a country that thinks it’s okay to kill not only military officers but also their daughters, that country is not worth fighting for.”
A New York Times analysis on Tuesday suggested that popular support for the Iran war is the lowest compared to other US military involvements abroad since World War II. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in early March showed that only one in four Americans approves of the US – Israeli attack on Iran.
However, Trump has dismissed the polling, saying he has “to do the right thing” and not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons – something Tehran has consistently said it has no plan to do.
Carlson, who was generally supportive of Trump’s policies before, has condemned the Iran war as “absolutely disgusting and evil.” In response, Trump claimed that the journalist “has lost his way” and is not really part of the MAGA movement.