President Donald Trump’s administration launched a new round of limited strikes on Iranian targets on the eve of today’s midterm elections. The military action comes as conservative commentator Tucker Carlson alleges that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring Trump to launch a nuclear strike against Iran, raising questions about the potential for further escalation.
The developments come days after Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy warned that the administration’s military plans were “insane” and predicted devastating consequences. Two days later, Murphy suffered a stroke and was hospitalized.
Now, with Netanyahu reportedly urging Trump to intensify the military campaign and Carlson warning of a possible nuclear strike, the question is no longer simply whether the United States will launch additional attacks on Iran, but how far the president might be willing to escalate the conflict.
According to The Associated Press, American forces struck Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, hours before voters headed to the polls.
A U.S. official said the limited operation targeted Iranian forces using surface-to-air missiles against American personnel. The official spoke anonymously because they lacked authorization to comment publicly. The strikes followed weeks of speculation about whether Trump would resume a broader military campaign after Election Day.
The timing is particularly significant because Netanyahu reportedly pressed Trump for renewed strikes during a weekend telephone conversation, according to regional officials and another person familiar with the discussion, the AP reported.
Trump acknowledged speaking with Netanyahu, describing their conversation as “very good,” but offered few details.
That confirmed contact has given new relevance to allegations Carlson made Sunday night, when he claimed Netanyahu was pushing Trump toward a far more consequential military decision.
In a lengthy post on X, Carlson alleged that Netanyahu wanted the United States to use a nuclear weapon against Pickaxe Mountain, an underground Iranian facility that reportedly lies beneath hundreds of feet of rock.
“Bibi calls Trump about it every day,” Carlson wrote, quoting an unnamed observer.
Carlson claimed conventional American weapons could not penetrate the mountain’s protective granite. He said Netanyahu was pressing for a nuclear strike as the only way to destroy infrastructure he believes could enrich uranium.
He further alleged that Trump could make a decision by Nov. 7, while Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff were pushing for a diplomatic settlement.
Those allegations have not been independently verified. The White House has dismissed Carlson’s account, and no public evidence establishes that Trump is considering using a nuclear weapon.
But the underlying military problem Carlson described is not entirely imaginary.
A Newsweek analysis examined the difficulty of destroying Pickaxe Mountain’s deeply buried infrastructure, raising the possibility that conventional weapons might be insufficient to eliminate the entire facility.
That does not establish that nuclear weapons are necessary, much less that the administration intends to use them. Destroying a facility completely and rendering it temporarily inoperable are different military objectives.
Trump himself discussed Pickaxe Mountain during a Monday appearance on Fox News, suggesting the United States could deal with the site quickly.
The president’s remarks came as diplomatic negotiations continued, with U.S. and regional officials working to reach an agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent a return to full-scale fighting.
For Murphy, the danger of escalation was already apparent before the latest developments.
Speaking Thursday about a classified Pentagon briefing, the Connecticut Democrat warned that the administration was contemplating a short military operation with potentially catastrophic consequences.
“You’ve heard a preview that it would be a short-duration plan. I will just say this: Their plan is insane,” Murphy said.
“It will lead to devastating escalation and the likely destruction of our commitment to the rule of law.”
Two days later, Murphy, 53, experienced numbness in his arm while attending his son’s hockey game. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a stroke.
His chief of staff, Allison Herwitt, said Sunday that Murphy was awake, alert and responding well to treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She added that doctors were encouraged by his progress and optimistic about his full recovery.
The timing of Murphy’s warning and subsequent hospitalization sparked speculation online. However, there is no evidence linking his stroke to his criticism of Trump or the administration’s Iran policy.
