Trump Denounces Media Over Iran Nuclear Strike Impact Reports

President Donald Trump has strongly defended the recent U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, insisting that the sites were "totally destroyed" and accusing major news outlets like CNN, ABC, and NBC of spreading "fake news" to undermine the success of the operation. Trump specifically targeted CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, ABC correspondent Jonathan Karl, and Comcast chairman Brian Roberts with harsh criticism on Truth Social, despite available satellite imagery showing damage to Iranian nuclear sites was significant but not total obliteration. A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment reportedly concluded the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a few months, contradicting Trump's claims, though the White House press secretary called the report "flat-out wrong" and condemned the leak as an attempt to discredit the administration and the military mission. In response to the U.S. strikes, Iran retaliated with missile attacks on a U.S. base in Qatar, emphasizing their stance on defending national security without initiating conflict. The ongoing dispute highlights a clash between the Trump administration's narrative of a decisive military victory and independent assessments suggesting the damage, while notable, did not completely eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This controversy has fueled further tensions between the administration and the media, with Trump continuing to attack journalists and media companies both rhetorically and through governmental channels.