Overview

• A clip released June 18 shows Carlson confronting Cruz on US involvement in Middle East strikes and regime-change advocacy, drawing widespread attention online.
• When asked for Iran’s population, Cruz admitted he did not know the number and failed to provide precise details on the country’s ethnic and religious makeup.
• Cruz briefly suggested the United States was conducting strikes before clarifying that Israel led the operations with American support.
• Social media users mocked Cruz’s unfamiliarity with basic Iranian demographics given his vocal calls for regime change against Tehran.
• The heated back-and-forth underscores growing fractures in conservative ranks over foreign policy expertise and the administration’s Israel-Iran approach.