Former US President Donald Trump has accused CNN of broadcasting a deceptive statement from Iran concerning a ceasefire, alleging that the report was linked to a Nigerian news organisation. This accusation follows the announcement of a truce between the US and Iran, which came just two hours before Trump's stated deadline to target Iranian cultural sites.
CNN had reported that Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) declared a significant victory, stating that the US had accepted its 10-point plan after the ceasefire. However, Trump vehemently refuted this account on his Truth Social platform, labelling the statement aired by CNN as a "FRAUD" that the network was aware of.
He asserted that the "false Statement was linked to a Fake News site (from Nigeria) and, of course, immediately picked up by CNN, and blared out as a 'legitimate' headline". Trump did not identify the specific Nigerian publication or offer evidence for this claim, referring to it simply as "a new, trouble making site from Nigeria".
Furthermore, Trump called for CNN to retract the report and indicated that official investigations were underway to determine if the reporting constituted a criminal offense.
In contrast, Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, provided what Trump implied was the nation's official stance, acknowledging Pakistan's role in mediating the ceasefire. Araghchi stated that Iran's armed forces would halt defensive actions if attacks against Iran ceased, allowing for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, subject to coordination with Iranian forces and acknowledgment of technical constraints.
Araghchi clarified that he was speaking on behalf of the SNSC, the principal security body responsible for protecting Iran's interests and its revolution.
Meanwhile, the Tasnim news agency, which has ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), published a statement from the SNSC that mirrored elements of the CNN report, describing the enemy's actions as a "cowardly, illegal and criminal war" and proclaiming Iran's "great victory" in compelling the US to accept its plan.
Separately, Brendan Carr, the chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning to broadcasters regarding the potential loss of their licences if they do not act in the public interest.
CNN defended its reporting, asserting that the information was sourced from Iranian officials and disseminated by various Iranian state-affiliated media outlets.
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