Trump alleges CNN posted 'fake' Iran statement, says authorities reviewing possible crime

Within hours of declaring a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, President Donald Trump accused CNN of knowingly publishing false information and said authorities are looking into whether the network committed a crime. It is unclear what crime, if any, could be charged.

Trump said the network reported a “fake” statement attributed to Iran that differed from a separate message he shared from Iran’s foreign minister. That statement said Trump accepted Iran’s 10-point plan as a basis for negotiations, that Iran agreed to a ceasefire, and that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened for two weeks.

As of April 10, the strait was operating at about 10% of its normal pace, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. CNN’s post highlighted a longer statement attributed to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which outlined elements of the 10-point plan.

The headline read: “Iran claims victory, says it forced US to accept 10-point plan.” After Trump’s criticism, CNN said it stood by its reporting, and journalists at the network said the council’s message was one of multiple statements issued by Iranian officials.

Other outlets also reported on the council’s statement. Trump, who had announced the ceasefire on the evening of April 7 contingent on Iran reopening the strait, posted twice on Truth Social alleging that CNN amplified a statement linked to a “fake news site” based in Nigeria and presented it as legitimate.

In one post, he called the alleged CNN-linked statement a “FRAUD” and said authorities were determining whether a crime had been committed or if “a sick rogue player” was involved.

He later wrote that CNN “put out a knowingly false and dangerous statement,” calling it “a very dangerous thing to do.” On X, a White House account called Rapid Response 47 shared Trump’s comments with a screenshot of CNN’s blog post, adding: “This alleged statement by ‘Iran’ is a FRAUD!

Correct immediately!” Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said CNN pushed out a “hoax headline.” On April 8, Trump said both CNN and The New York Times had reported on a “fake” 10-point plan. Nicole Taylor, a spokesperson for The New York Times, said the paper’s April 8 article reported on a plan directly released by Iranian state media, detailing what it said was the 10-point framework for talks.

First Amendment experts said that penalizing speech solely on the basis of its accuracy would be unconstitutional. A request for comment to the White House about which authorities are examining the incident and which website was involved went unanswered. Trump said the results of the inquiry would be announced in the near future.