Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has now claimed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) read his text messages before the US war with Iran.
A conservative political commentator posted a video on X on Saturday night claiming that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) was preparing to charge him with being an “unregistered foreign agent” for Iran, on the recommendation of the CIA.
In the five-minute video, Tucker Carlson claimed that the CIA was preparing to send a criminal complaint to the Justice Department over what he described as an alleged crime. He said the alleged breach involved talking to people in Iran before the war.
Tucker Carlson’s Allegation
The conservative pundit said he was likely to be charged under the “Foreign Agent Registration Act,” which mandates that anyone paid by governments abroad for lobbying or political advocacy must register with the Justice Department. Carlson, who has been an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump’s “Operation Epic Fury” in Iran, has denied being an Iranian asset, adding that his loyalty is strictly to the US.
Commenting on whether he received any money, he stated that he has never received anything from foreign governments and does not need it. He also stated that his work as a journalist and political commentator includes communication with foreign sources.
The conservative commentator said in his video message that the case against him was “politically motivated”.
According to Carlson, some people are angry with him for his views on Israel, saying that intelligence agencies tend to monitor American citizens more during such times of conflict.
Carlson-Trump ties
Carlson has been a strong Trump supporter in the past, describing him as “a very conservative guy, a very good guy,” according to a Politico report. A political commentator was also present during the January 9 White House lunch with oil executives.
In the weeks before the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, Carlson met several times with Trump at the White House, with the most recent meeting reported on February 23, hours after his controversial conversation with Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel.
According to a report in the New York Post, it was during this meeting that the conservative commentator was admonished by the US president.
Carlson’s previous references to Iran
Earlier in July 2025, Carlson was convicted of speaking with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, giving the representative of the Islamic Republic a global platform. Marcus Kolga, a foreign expert on disinformation, told the British newspaper Iran International that the situation represented a significant success for Iran’s information warfare efforts, adding that Tucker Carlson, whether intentionally or not, was helping to spread and amplify stories promoted by the Iranian government.
Carlson has also been accused of spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories when he called the strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “absolutely disgusting and evil” and said the war was being waged on behalf of Israel. His outburst led to public condemnation from the White House.
