Tensions have flared between President Donald Trump and CNN after a controversial report about Iran’s supposed “victory” following a ceasefire.
Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to push back, calling the report false and accusing CNN of relying on what he described as a “fake news site from Nigeria.”
His comments came shortly after he announced a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
He argued that the version aired by CNN didn’t match Iran’s actual position. In his words, the network ran with a misleading story and presented it as fact at a very sensitive moment.
In a follow-up post, Trump went further, suggesting the report was completely made up and questioning how CNN could present it as coming from top Iranian officials.
He also said authorities were looking into the situation to determine whether any wrongdoing occurred and insisted the network should retract the story and apologise.
At the centre of the dispute is a statement reportedly from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, claiming the country had dealt the U.S. a “historic and crushing defeat” and forced Washington to accept parts of its terms.
Trump dismissed that claim outright, saying the official Iranian statement shared on his platform told a different story.
His mention of Nigeria quickly drew attention, though he didn’t offer any proof to back up the claim about the report’s origin.
Supporting Trump’s stance, Brendan Carr criticised CNN, saying pushing out unverified information during a tense national security moment is a serious issue.
CNN, however, isn’t backing down. A spokesperson said the report came directly from Iranian officials and was confirmed by multiple state media outlets.
They added that the statement had been widely circulated in both English and Farsi, and that their reporting followed standard verification procedures.
All of this is unfolding as the U.S. and Iran try to hold on to a fragile ceasefire.
Both sides are claiming some form of victory, but the agreement itself is being seen as a step toward cooling tensions especially given how crucial the Strait of Hormuz is to global energy supply.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed that the deal includes a temporary guarantee of safe passage through the strait for two weeks offering a brief moment of stability in an otherwise tense situation.
