Senator Ted Cruz has been grilled by Tucker Carlson over Iran, with the former Fox News anchor accusing the Republican legislator of knowing nothing about the country where he apparently supports regime change.
The interview clip, with the full video airing on Thursday, comes as cracks have shown in President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (Maga) movement over the possibility of US military intervention in Iran.
“How many people live in Iran, by the way?” Mr Carlson asked the Texas conservative.
Mr Cruz responded: “I don't know the population.”
Mr Carlson then said: “You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?”
The Republican senator has voiced support for regime change in Iran, saying in a Fox News interview on Sunday that “it is very much in the interest of America”.
“How could you not know that?” Mr Carlson asked. Mr Cruz said he does not “sit around memorising population tables”.
Last week, Israel launched a “pre-emptive” strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure and other military targets, claiming the country was days away from creating a nuclear weapon. Tehran responded by firing a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel.
The conflict has entered a sixth day, with the exchange of aerial fire killing scores of people, including several top Iranian military figures.
Mr Trump appears to be working with members of his cabinet to decide whether to enter the Israel-Iran conflict, saying on Wednesday: “I may do it, I may not do it – I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.”
Mr Carlson continued to press Mr Cruz on Iran in the interview, telling him he does not “know anything about Iran” after the senator was asked to, and correctly identified, the demographic make-up of the country.
A flustered Mr Cruz said “we are carrying out military strikes today”, which Mr Carlson pointed out was contrary to the White House narrative that the US is not currently involved. Mr Cruz then said Israel was striking Iran with US support.
The possibility of the US entering the war has divided Republicans, with some eager to disable Iran's nuclear programme and others pointing out that Mr Trump campaigned on ending costly foreign wars.
The President went on the attack against Mr Carlson this week, saying in post on his Truth Social platform: “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”
The post was apparently in response to an earlier interview Mr Carlson held, in which he asked if a war with Iran would spell the end of the Maga movement.
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a strong supporter of Mr Trump, expressed support for Mr Carlson in a post on X. “Foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction,” she said.
In a previous post, she said: “Anyone slobbering for the US to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/Maga.”
The President, however, seemed unfazed. “My supporters are more in love with me today, and I'm more in love with them, more than they even were at election time where we had a total landslide,” he said.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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