Far-left commentator Hasan Piker stunningly argued the Middle East “would be more stable” if Iran had a nuclear weapon, arguing the principle of “mutually assured destruction” would lead to deterrence between rival nations.
“I think Iran, much like any other sovereign nation, has a right to defend itself, regardless of its domestic policies,” Piker told Axios correspondent Alex Thompson in the same interview during which the Twitch streamer argued the US has committed more terrorism “pound-for-pound” than Al Qaeda.
The 35-year-old went on to cite controversial political scientist John Mearsheimer in arguing that “mutually assured destruction is the only way for countries to have sovereignty.”
“It’s the same principle that I apply to Ukraine as well: Countries that would have nuclear arms in an age of nuclear proliferation are the only countries that can generate true sovereignty,” Piker said. “Now, having said that, do I want Iran to have nuclear arms? No. But I also don’t want America, or Russia, or China to have nuclear arms, either.”
“With respect to Iran, I think the nuclear conversation is a distraction,” he continued. “Time and time again, they have shown, the Iranian government, regardless of whether you want to trust them or not, you can just look at their actions, have proven that they are utilizing the conversation of enriched uranium as a point of leverage to bring America back to the table to get sanctions relief.”
Piker has an online audience of millions and has attracted controversy for outrageous statements like his comment in 2019 that America “deserved” the 9/11 terror attacks — which he has only partially walked back — and his admiration of Chinese Communist dictator Mao Zedong.
The streamer has acted as a high-profile campaign surrogate for several left-wing candidates, most notably Michigan Senate contender Abdul El-Sayed.
He is also on record stating his preferred candidate for the 2028 Democratic nomination is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
El-Sayed was quick to issue a statement rejecting Piker’s comment about the US being worse than Al Qaeda, saying: “I do not agree with this statement, nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer. I am more concerned with the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and [Republican candidate] Mike Rogers that are raising the prices of gas, groceries and healthcare for Michiganders.”
With Post wires
