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Molly Butler / Media Matters

Research/Study Research/Study

Right-wing media torn over US involvement in Iran

While personalities like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin are openly advocating for war with Iran, others urge nonintervention

Written by Chloe Simon & Gideon Taaffe

Research contributions from Helena Hind, Isabella Corrao & Noah Dowe

Published

Israel’s initial attacks on Iran over the weekend have quickly escalated in the following days, with both nations now exchanging missiles. Although President Donald Trump has warned people to evacuate Tehran and claimed that “we now have complete and total control” over Iranian skies, the administration has not outright said that the U.S. will join the conflict. 

Meanwhile, right-wing media have been engaged in their own tug-of-war, debating whether the U.S. should intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. Fox’s Sean Hannity has claimed that “America doesn't have any choice but to get involved in this” and Mark Levin, another Fox host, argued force would be the only thing to “stop” Iran. 

But others have opposed direct intervention. Right-wing podcast host Tucker Carlson, for instance, said he didn’t want to see America “further weakened or destroyed by another one of these wars” and called Levin “a liar who doesn’t care.” 

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  • The US has sent mixed signals about its willingness to engage as the conflict intensifies

    • On June 13, Israel announced it had initiated a series of strikes, which have reportedly killed top Iranian military commanders, scientists, and civilians. Iran called Israel’s attacks a “foolish act” and retaliated with missile strikes in Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa. Since then, Israel and Iran have been exchanging missile strikes, hitting both military and civilian targets. [CBS News, 6/14/25; The Independent, 6/17/25] 
    • Although Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is “not involved in strikes against Iran,” Trump has offered conflicting messaging on the U.S. role. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. knew “what’s going on” and didn’t need a “heads-up” from Israel. However, he also claimed that “the U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight.” Axios also reported that two Israeli officials claimed they “had a clear U.S. green light,” and on Monday, Trump left the G7 conference early, warning Iranian civilians to “immediately evacuate Tehran.” He has also since claimed that “we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.” [Time Magazine, 6/16/25; Axios, 6/13/25, 6/16/25; Truth Social, 6/17/25] 

  • Some in right-wing media have justified US involvement in the war: “America doesn't have any choice but to get involved in this”

    • On his radio show, Fox News’ Sean Hannity pushed back on critics who argue the U.S. shouldn’t get involved, saying, “America doesn't have any choice but to get involved in this.” Hannity said, “This is where people don't understand. This is all coming to a head over the issue of the Iranians' ambition for nuclear weapons. Now they are the number one state sponsor of terror.” [Premier Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 6/13/25]
    • A few days later, Hannity claimed he wants “deterrence” through “military strength” to prevent Iran from further action. Hannity: “I don't know exactly what role the U.S. should play here. I do think it's in America's best long-term interest if they don't have nuclear weapons.” He added, “Not that I want war. I want deterrence, and deterrence is military strength. Peace is not defined by an absence of conflict or war. Peace is defined by the ability to defeat your enemies if they ever attack you and prevent them from ever daring to attack you.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 6/16/25]
    • Fox host Mark Levin said that “force … is the only thing to stop” Iran and called for “the elimination of that regime.” Levin: “What’s to stop Iran from trying to assassinate our president again? What’s to stop Iran funding terrorists to come into our country and hit us again and again and again? What’s to stop them? Force. It’s the only thing to stop them. The elimination of that regime, it’s the only thing to stop them.” [Fox News, Life, Liberty, & Levin, 6/15/25]
    • On the PBD Podcast, co-host Adam Sosnick suggested that if the U.S. does not act, there could be a “Pearl Harbor situation” or a “9/11 situation.” Sosnick: “If you want to pretend to be an ostrich, just like they tried to do in World War II — ‘Oh, let's stay out of it. We're not getting involved’ — next thing you know, you're going to have a Pearl Harbor situation. Next thing you know, you're going to have a 9/11 situation.” [YouTube, PBD Podcast, 6/14/25]
    • On Special Report, Fox News contributor Guy Benson said deploying a bunker-buster bomb to end Iran's nuclear program “doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.” Benson: “If there is a very limited American involvement, I think that is up to President Trump's discretion. We're not talking about an invasion or a ground war or a forever war. We're talking about a bunker-busting bomb to put an end to a sworn enemy's nuclear program. Doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.” [Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 6/16/25]
    • Townhall editor and Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich posted on X, “Enough. They can surrender. Finish the job.” Pavlich: “The Iranian regime had nearly 50 years to talk. They've cheated, lied, and murdered Israelis and Americans the entire time. Now that they're badly losing, they want to talk? Enough. They can surrender. Finish the job.” [Twitter/X, 6/16/25]

  • Other right-wing media figures have argued that this is “not our war” and “we don’t need for our national security to be using military force”

    • Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson argued that “we have a principled stance on this program. America first. America first. Not our war, not our land, not our sand.” Johnson said, “I don't want American soldiers being shoved deep into the ground plotting for some other nation. I don't care if that's Ukraine or Israel. I don't care if it's Taiwan.” [YouTube, The Benny Show, 6/13/25]
    • On Fox, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk said he would advise Trump to exercise “a little bit of caution” toward the conflict, saying that young people view him as “the peace president.” Kirk: “The question will be in the coming days and weeks, will there be clamoring for an offensive American strategy against Iran? Well, some people say, ‘Hey we could finally wipe them out, we have them on the ropes.’ I would introduce a little bit of caution towards that, especially from a younger generational perspective. One of the main reasons we were able to get young people to vote for President Trump so overwhelmingly this last election was a reminder that President Trump is the peace president.” [Fox News, The Will Cain Show, 6/13/25]
    • Fox News contributor Brett Velicovich said, “We do have a duty to protect Israel as Christians, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we need to send our fighter jets.” [Fox News, The Will Cain Show, 6/13/25]
    • On Jesse Watters Primetime, retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis said, “We don't need for our national security to be using military force, period.” Davis added: “If we go to war with Iran, they’re going to hit the most vulnerable targets they can, and that’s those troops over there. We should not put their lives at unnecessary risk to do something we don't have to do anywhere.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 6/16/25]
    • In an interview with Tucker Carlson, War Room host Steve Bannon argued that “we have to stop” attempts to “join in the offensive combat operation.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/16/25]
    • In the same interview, Carlson said, “I don’t want my country to be further weakened or destroyed by another one of these wars.” He continued, “If you can’t connect the dots after 25 years of this shit, you’re either too dumb to participate in the conversation or you’re, like Mark Levin, just a liar who doesn’t care.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/16/25]
    • The Federalist published a piece titled “Discredited Neocon Talking Points From The Iraq War Are Back, Lazily Re-Purposed For Iran.” Author John Daniel Davidson argued that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “and other armchair war hawks are willing to risk regime change with no plan for what comes next — they won’t have to impose order on the aftermath in Iran. Neither will [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu or his soldiers. After Israel ‘internationalizes’ the problem of a decapitated Iran, American troops will be the ones expected to impose order and rebuild the country, and everyone knows it.” [The Federalist, 6/18/25] 
    • Conservative podcast host Candace Owens argued that U.S. intervention in Iran is not MAGA politics, it is “Make Israel Greater.” Owens claimed that Trump “just fractured his base” over the Israel-Iran conflict. [YouTube, Candace Owens, 6/17/25]
    • In response to co-host Adam Sosnick claiming “every piece of information I see out there is that Iran is building a nuclear weapon,” PBD Podcast co-host Vincent Oshana said, “Everything that you're getting is from Israeli intelligence and Bibi Netanyahu — hold on — that's been wanting this war forever. He wants this war.” Oshana referred to National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s March statement to a House committee that the intelligence community “continues to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,” saying, “In March, Adam, they’re not making a bomb. I trust the intelligence coming from the director of national intelligence.” [YouTube, PBD Podcast, 6/17/25; DNI.gov, accessed 6/18/25]