David Sacks, President Donald Trump’s czar for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, warned of Israel contemplating using a nuclear weapon in the Iran War.
During an appearance on the podcast All In, Sacks spoke about the “risks” of an “escalatory approach” in the conflict. “Israel could get seriously destroyed,” he said, before adding, “And then you have to worry about Israel escalating the war by contemplating using a nuclear weapon.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House, the Pentagon and the office of the Israeli prime minister outside of normal business hours for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Conflict has spread across the Middle East and is continuing to intensify, after the U.S and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran, and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The fallout has been immediate and far-reaching, from civilian and military casualties to travellers being stranded and oil prices skyrocketing.
Trump has sent mixed signals about the scope and planned duration of the conflict. On Wednesday, he told supporters in Hebron, Kentucky, that the conflict was effectively over almost as soon as it began. “We won, in the first hour it was over, but we won,” the president said, before adding, “We don’t want to leave early, do we? We’ve got to finish the job.”
With Americans divided along party lines and the majority of polls showing opposition to be higher than support, Sacks’s remarks come at a moment when tensions are high, and his candid comments about the war and the possibility of nuclear strikes could prompt concern from many in response.
What To Know
Speaking on the podcast, Sacks said: “This is a good time to declare victory and get out, and that is clearly what the markets would like to see.”
He then said that there is a “faction of people,” largely in the Republican Party, who want the war to escalate. “I just want to lay out, I think, some of the risks of what an escalatory approach could entail,” he said.
He then speaks about the risk to oil and gas infrastructure, as well as water infrastructure and access for neighbouring countries, and the potential of continued retaliation from Iran to the Gulf states if their oil is hit or impacted.
Sacks then spoke about the conflict’s impact on Israel. “It’s hard to know exactly how much damage Israel is taking right now,” he said.
“We’re only two weeks into this. If this war continues for weeks or months, then Israel could just be destroyed,” he said.
On the contemplation of using a nuclear weapon, he said it would be “truly catastrophic,” adding that there are “a lot of really frightening scenarios about where escalation could lead.”
The remarks have widely circulated online and prompted a concerned response.
What People Are Saying
Tom Wright, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, in a post on X viewed over a million times: “Jaw dropping comments on the Iran war by the Trump administration’s AI czar David Sacks earlier today on the All In podcast. Warns a faction is trying to get Trump to escalate in Iran, says it could render the Gulf uninhabitable and Israeli nuclear use.”
Bonchie, a writer for Red State, in a post on X: “David Sacks is basically Douglas Macgregor, but with a slightly better facade. He’s on like his 18th prediction of world war and nuclear usage at this point. Almost none of what he says here is based in reality regarding Iran’s actual capabilities, nor those of the U.S.”
Dr Andreas Krieg, an author and academic, in a post on X: “When the choice is between a nuclear strike and a diplomatic offramp in a war you cannot win, I think the choice is clear. The international community has to stand united against the US and Israel to stop this madness
What Happens Next
It is currently unclear how long the war will last, or what next steps look like, but neither side has signalled a retreat.
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