SAEDNEWS: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz faced widespread ridicule after admitting he didn’t know Iran’s population during a heated exchange on The Tucker Carlson Show, underscoring the perilous disconnect of American hawks pushing for confrontation with Tehran.
According to Saed News, in a striking segment aired on June 18, prominent conservative commentator Tucker Carlson cornered Senator Ted Cruz (R‑TX) over his conspicuous gaps in basic knowledge about Iran. When Carlson asked Cruz, “How many people live in Iran, by the way?”, the senator replied, “I don’t know,” prompting an incredulous Carlson to snap back: “You don’t know the population of the country you seek to topple?”
The exchange quickly went viral, with social media users mocking Cruz’s cavalier attitude toward a nation of nearly 88 million people. Critics pointed out the irony of a U.S. politician calling for regime‑change strikes against Iran while admitting he “doesn’t sit around memorising population tables.” Many observers noted that such ignorance exemplifies the broader failures of America’s “war‑at‑any‑cost” faction.
On X (formerly Twitter), one user quipped, “Tucker Carlson was taken aback by the senator’s level of ignorance—advocating to bomb a country he knows nothing about?” Another added, “If you’re calling for the bombing of or entry into war, you should at least be informed about the country you’re targeting.”
The interview illuminated deep fractures within the Republican Party. While “America First” conservatives resist further Middle East entanglements, the so‑called hawks—backed by powerful lobbies—are clamoring for escalating U.S. involvement against Iran. Cruz’s stumble over basic demographic facts only fueled charges that Washington’s pro‑war clique is driven more by ideological zeal and foreign interests than by informed policy.
Carlson also pressed the senator on alleged Israeli espionage against the United States. When asked why U.S. laws don’t forbid such spying, Cruz demurred: “They probably spy on us and we spy on them. Friends and allies spy on each other.” That exchange sparked fresh criticism of Cruz’s financial ties to a prominent pro‑Israel lobbying group, which, according to watchdogs, has contributed nearly $1.9 million to his campaigns.
Observers warn that such blind spots could lead the U.S. into a disastrous confrontation with Iran—echoing the calamity of past Middle East invasions. As tensions mount following recent regional strikes and retaliatory missile launches, this on‑air flub serves as a cautionary tale: when warmongers lack even rudimentary knowledge of their targets, ordinary people inevitably pay the price.
