Donald Trump has launched a furious online attack on The New York Times, threatening to expand a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the newspaper after it described his Iran war as a failure. In three separate social media posts on Sunday, the 80-year-old US president called the publication "corrupt and unethical cowards" and "criminals," vowing to add fresh details of its "false and ridiculous reporting" to his ongoing legal action.
Trigger: Times Article Questions War Gains
The meltdown was sparked by a piece from reporter Neil MacFarquhar headlined: "What Changed After Almost Four Months of War? Analysts Say Not Much." The article noted that after nearly 100 days of bloody conflict, Washington and Tehran had reached a "vague memorandum of understanding" to halt fighting, but sceptics were baffled about what had been achieved. It highlighted that Iran's nuclear programme was never wiped out, contrary to Trump's boasts, and that the peace agreement failed to address Tehran's ballistic missile capabilities. The report also stressed that "Iran's authoritarian regime endured, albeit with new leaders. Its proxies remain a threat to the region."
Trump's Explosive Response
Trump initially posted: "REALLY? Their Military is DONE, their Navy is GONE, their Air Force is GONE, their Launching Pads, Missiles, Drones and Manufacturing of same, is almost GONE." He quickly followed with a legal threat: "I will be adding all of their false and ridiculous reporting to my multi Billion Dollar lawsuit against them. They are Criminals!" Hours later, he shared a supportive post from loyal ally Senator Lindsey Graham, adding: "The Failing New York Times is CORRUPT!"
Expert Analysis Contradicts Trump
The Times article featured damning analysis from experts, including MIT professor Caitlin Talmadge, who argued the peace deal resulted from American weakness, not strength. She said: "I think it's a document that has resulted from the fact that the United States bit off more than it could chew and doesn’t want to escalate," adding that Trump's deal "really raises the question of what was achieved here, especially in comparison to the original Iran nuclear deal."
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the US, boasting that the war highlighted Iran's power to choke global gas supplies via the Strait of Hormuz. Ghalibaf said: "Our enemies - God created them fools - turned that potential into reality." Despite the truce, Trump has continued to issue bloodthirsty warnings to Tehran, recently telling Fox News: "You close it and you won’t have a country. We may take over the Strait, if we have to. I'll blow the s*** out of them."
