'Spotty commander in chief and not a deal maker': Tucker Carlson criticizes Trump over Iran War

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson tore into President Donald Trump over the Iran War, saying Trump is a "spotty commander in chief" and "not a good dealmaker." Speaking about the conflict that has dragged into the fourth month, Carlson claimed that the war has played more into the hands of Tehran than Washington. 

Carlson, who endorsed Trump for President ahead of the 2024 election, rescinded his support for the President after he was ousted from Fox. Since then, he launched his own Tucker Carlson Network, where he produces his video podcasts and commentary. In one of the episodes, Carlson said he feels very differently about his endorsement of Trump, saying he made a mistake that will "torment" him for years. Now, in a recent interview, Carlson tore into the President for mishandling the war. "As of right now, Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz. It did not when this war began," Carlson said. 

Shortly after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in late February, Tehran moved to choke the critical crude oil shipping lane, sending shockwaves across the global oil market. "Trump is not a great diplomat. He is not good at this. What we're learning is Trump is a spotty Commander in Chief and not a dealmaker," Carlson continued, referring to the struggles that both the U.S. and Tehran have faced to reach a deal in the past month.

While the ceasefire was reached in April, the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes across the Middle East on Thursday, straining the peace agreement. While the U.S. said it executed "self-defense strikes" targeting military, surveillance, and radar sites in southern Iran, Tehran responded with a round of strikes targeting U.S. military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, the BBC reported. 

However, hopes of peace were renewed on Friday after President Donald Trump said a deal between the two countries could be signed as soon as this weekend, even as Tehran hasn't made a final decision, Reuters reported. The deal, if confirmed, would mark a significant breakthrough, especially with the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. "We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," Trump told reporters at the White House on the previous day. "The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be ​soon, very soon, maybe over the weekend in Europe," he said, adding that Vice President J.D. Vance would be present at the deal signing. Asked if Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, had agreed to the deal, Trump said, "I understand the answer is yes."

However, Reuters reported that a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said negotiations were active and nothing had been finalized to end the conflict. The comments reportedly came during a live phone call interview on Iran's state television. "We have not reached a final ​conclusion on this matter," the spokesperson said as per the publication. "This is a very important issue that is currently being reviewed by the relevant decision-making bodies."