Palantir co-founder and renowned defense investor Joe Lonsdale weighed in on escalating tensions between Israel and Iran in a CNBC interview on Friday.
According to Lonsdale, Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons demands decisive US action, regardless of political hesitation or past intervention fatigue.
Lonsdale refrained from speculating on intentions, referring to President Trump’s recent remarks that the United States could launch a military action in Iran within the next two weeks.
However, he emphasized the severity of the threat, saying, “If people chant death to America for years, kill American soldiers, and then try to build a nuke, you should make it clear they can’t have a nuke.”
Palantir’s co-founder dismissed the idea that the entire population of Iran (92 million people) supports the regime’s ambitions, pointing instead to the country’s rich history and its people’s natural alignment with Western values.
“The Personal people, the Kurds – these are modern, intelligent communities who have suffered under a theocratic regime,” Lonsdale told CNBC this morning, adding, “Iran could be a prosperous republic if not run by crazy people”.
Palantir co-founder urges military action against Iran
Joe Lonsdale expressed confidence in America’s so-called bunker-buster bombs in the CNBC interview on Friday.
“I’m told they work – there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to do it – and you can always hit things multiple times just to be sure,” he noted.
Lonsdale backed the idea of a preemptive strike to eliminate nuclear infrastructure but clarified that he respects the administration’s stated goal of stopping nuclear proliferation without necessarily pursuing regime change.
That said, Palantir’s co-founder acknowledged that toppling Iran’s regime could unlock long-term stability in the region.
You take out the mullahs, you remove an entire axis of terror – Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis – all funded and fuelled by this regime. The Abraham Accords could flourish, and peace becomes more viable, he said.
Lonsdale criticizes ‘woke right’ for view on Iran
Joe Lonsdale was unsparing in his criticism of past Democratic administrations as well as factions within the current Republican government.
He rebuked President Obama for avoiding the term “Islamic extremism”, accusing him of playing balance-of-power politics that allowed radicals to thrive.
At the same time, he slammed elements of what he called the “new woke right” – including figures like Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson – for opposing action against Iran due to war fatigue.
Being against more boots on the ground doesn’t mean you allow maniacs to get nukes – it’s childish stubbornness, being so angry about Iraq that they can’t see this is different.
Palantir’s co-founder also pointed to misinformation campaigns, alleging many anti-interventionist voices online are fake accounts from Islamist networks masquerading as conservatives.
The rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, are helping PLTR shares remain at record levels of about $140.
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