United States President Donald Trump has criticised CNN for reporting a statement attributed to Iran following the announcement of a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, alleging that the report was based on information from a “fake news” website in Nigeria.
The dispute emerged shortly after a ceasefire between the United States and Iran was announced, hours before a deadline previously set by Trump in which he warned of severe consequences if hostilities continued.
CNN had reported a statement attributed to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) claiming that the country had secured a major victory and compelled the United States to accept its proposed conditions.
“The enemy, in its unfair, unlawful, and criminal war against the Iranian nation, has suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat,” the statement said, according to CNN’s report.
Trump rejected the claim in a post on Truth Social, accusing the network of circulating false information.
“The alleged statement put out by CNN World News is a FRAUD, as CNN well knows,” Trump wrote.
He further alleged that the report had been sourced from a “fake news site from Nigeria” which, according to him, was quickly amplified by the network. The president did not identify the outlet or provide evidence supporting the allegation.
Trump also called on CNN to withdraw the report, adding that authorities were examining whether the publication of the statement could constitute a violation of the law.
Following the ceasefire announcement, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi released a separate statement thanking Pakistan for its role in mediating the agreement.
Trump’s post
“If attacks against Iran are halted, our powerful armed forces will cease their defensive operations,” Araghchi said, adding that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz could be allowed for two weeks under coordination with Iranian forces.
Araghchi said he issued the statement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council, the body responsible for overseeing Iran’s national security policies.
Meanwhile, Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also published a statement from the SNSC containing similar language to that cited in CNN’s report, congratulating Iranians on what it described as a “victory.”
Amid the controversy, Brendan Carr, chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), warned that broadcasters could face sanctions, including the loss of licences, if they fail to operate in the public interest.
CNN, however, defended its reporting, saying the statement attributed to the SNSC had been obtained from Iranian officials and had also appeared in several Iranian state media outlets.