On Wednesday, President Donald Trump called out CNN and the New York Times for spreading “fake news” regarding the recent strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities. He asserted the operation, which took place over the weekend, resulted in significant destruction, stating that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been “exterminated.”
Trump expressed his frustration, mentioning, “CNN is fake news as always. They lack credibility and, well, that means they have no audience.” He added that the U.S. military had executed a “very successful” assault against nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Meanwhile, critics on the far left have condemned Trump’s actions, challenging the notion that he is an “anti-war president.” In contrast, Trump praised the pilots involved in the mission, stating, “They did an incredible job that no one had ever seen before.” He characterized the media’s coverage as unfair to these pilots, accusing outlets like CNN and the Times of fabricating stories for clicks.
Responses from the media were swift. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, a former Pentagon correspondent, remarked on their commitment to upholding the honor of military personnel, emphasizing that their reports are based on findings from the Defense Intelligence Agency regarding the strike’s effectiveness.
According to recent reports, the attacks on the three Iranian nuclear sites did not completely dismantle the Iran’s nuclear program. An early classified assessment suggested that while the strike effectively sealed off access to two facilities, it didn’t bring down the entire underground structure. The New York Times followed up, suggesting the strike would only result in a temporary delay of the program.
Trump, for his part, maintains that the invasion has dealt a blow to Iran’s nuclear weapons production capabilities, but experts remain divided on the actual long-term impact of the strike. Some, like Andrea Sticker from the Democratic Defense Foundation, expressed skepticism about whether the targeted sites were genuinely incapacitated.
