Senator Ted Cruz found himself in the firing line and slightly in an awkward position on Tuesday after conservative commentator Tucker Carlson pressed him on his support for US intervention in Iran, during a tense on-screen exchange that has quickly gone viral.
In a preview clip from Carlson's upcoming show, the former Fox News host challenged Cruz on basic facts about Iran, including its population and ethnic makeup, and questioned whether the Texas senator's hawkish stance on Iran was backed by sufficient understanding of the country.
The interview, set to air in full on Wednesday, appears to mark a widening rift within the conservative movement over foreign policy, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
'You Don't Know the Population?'
In the preview clip, the viewers can see how the discussion between the two right-wing men quickly turned contentious when Carlson asked Cruz, 'How many people live in Iran, by the way?' Cruz responded, 'I don't know the population.' At that point, Carlson doubled down by calling him out: 'You don't know the population in the country you seek to topple?'
When Cruz deflected by asking Carlson the same question, the host replied without hesitation: '92 million. How could you not know that?'
Ted Cruz on Iran. Full interview tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/hJNwAHAnxZ
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025
Cruz dismissed the line of questioning, saying, 'I don't sit around memorising population tables.' But Carlson wasn't letting this one go. 'Well, it's kinda relevant because you're calling for the overthrow of the government,' he insisted.
A Clash Over Knowledge and Responsibility
The exchange escalated and soon turned into a loud clash as Carlson pressed Cruz further on Iran's ethnic and religious composition. Cruz described the country as 'Persian and predominantly Shia,' but Carlson cut in, asking, 'What per cent?'
As the conversation turned into a shouting match, Cruz protested, 'I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran!' Carlson shot back, 'You're a senator who's calling for the overthrow of a government, and you don't know anything about the country.'
Answering back to Carlson, Cruz countered, 'No, you don't know anything about the country. You're the one who claims they're not trying to murder Donald Trump. You're the one who can't figure out if it was a good idea to kill General Soleimani, and you said it was bad.'
'High Stakes' Accusations
The spat didn't end there. Moving further, Carlson challenged Cruz's claim that the US is actively involved in military operations, questioning his use of the word 'we' to describe ongoing strikes in the region.
'You said Israel was [carrying out strikes],' Carlson said. 'You just said 'we' were. This is high stakes. You're a senator. If you're saying the United States government is at war with Iran right now, people are listening.'
On Tuesday, Donald Trump said that he is contemplating action against Iran by asking for a 'complete surrender' by the nation, and latest reports also suggest that the Pentagon has sent fighter jets, including F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s to the Middle East.
Hence, amidst the role of the US in the war between Israel and Iran, the conversation between Cruz and Carlson has prompted strong reactions online, particularly from those who view Cruz's answers as lacking depth for someone advocating aggressive foreign and geopolitical policy.
Meanwhile, on social media, mainly on X (formerly Twitter), Cruz has started attacking Carlson by calling him out on his 'refusal to acknowledge indisputable truth.' In a recent post, Cruz wrote 'Facts don't care about your feelings, Tucker, and they certainly won't bend to your narrative.'
While what viewers have seen of their conversation is just a preview, it's fair to anticipate that the full segment will have much more drama and is expected to draw further scrutiny when it airs.
