Donald Trump has faced another humiliating on-air moment as CNN interrupted its programming to fact-check his claims about a ceasefire deal with Iran. During a report, anchor Anderson Cooper played a montage of the US president asserting he was "close" to securing an agreement with Iran, marking the 39th time since March he has made such a statement.
Background of the Conflict
The United States and Israel launched extensive strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel and US-allied Gulf states. Iran also effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil and liquefied natural gas, disrupting supply chains and impacting fuel prices, electricity costs, and the price of goods and services in the UK.
Trump's Latest Ceasefire Vow
Trump told reporters that negotiators had "just made a great settlement" with Iran. However, Cooper noted, "Today makes 39 times that he has said something like that." The president's latest claim came hours after he threatened more bombings in the Middle East.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening." He added that the deal involved multiple nations, including the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt, and that the naval blockade would remain until the transaction was finalized.
Military Actions and Threats
Earlier in June, the US launched Tomahawk cruise missile attacks on targets along Iran's southern coast, followed by strikes on inland targets and areas near Tehran. Trump stated, "We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them hard again today," criticizing Iranian leaders for taking too long to negotiate.
Details of the Claimed Deal
Trump said the deal ensures Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, calling it "a very big thing." He mentioned a possible signing in Europe once documents are finalized, which he expected to happen "pretty quickly."
