President Donald Trump on Sunday sharply criticized The New York Times over its coverage of the Iran conflict, accusing the newspaper of misrepresenting the impact of the war and calling its reporting “treasonous,” according to posts on his Truth Social account.
Trump said the newspaper’s reporting falsely downplayed the damage suffered by Iran during the conflict and described its coverage as “corrupt and failed,” alleging it relied on “fake and made-up facts.” “The way the Corrupt and Failing New York Times portrayed the story of Iran being badly beaten and decimated, through FAKE & MADE-UP FACTS, is, in my opinion, ‘TREASON,’” Trump wrote Sunday evening, as cited from Truth Social.
He added that he would include the reporting in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit he is pursuing against the newspaper. “I will be including all of their fictitious and made-up stories in my lawsuit against them. They are CRIMINALS!”
Trump’s comments were prompted by a New York Times analysis titled “What Changed After Almost 4 Months of War? Analysts Say Not Much,” which argued that the conflict produced limited strategic change. The assessment contrasted with Trump’s repeated claims that Iran sustained severe military and economic damage.
In a separate post, Trump again rejected the article’s conclusions, asserting that Iran’s military capabilities had been effectively destroyed. “Really? Their military is wiped out, their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their missile sites, drones, and production facilities are almost gone,” he wrote, adding claims that Iran’s leadership structure had been weakened and that the country’s economy was in collapse.
Trump also said inflation in Iran had reached 250%, its military was unable to pay troops, and that the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened with oil flows restored. He further claimed that U.S. stock markets and employment levels were at record highs.
“That is what CHANGED, you corrupt and unethical losers, and much more!” he wrote.
The dispute comes amid broader geopolitical developments following a U.S.-Iran agreement to establish a framework aimed at ending the conflict. The preliminary deal reportedly includes a 60-day negotiation period, provisions on Iran’s nuclear program, and steps toward de-escalation, including commitments related to maritime access in the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the framework, Iran is expected to resume normal shipping activity through the strategic waterway and scale back enriched uranium stockpiles, while the United States has pledged potential sanctions relief, partial asset unfreezing and a reconstruction package reportedly worth at least $300 billion tied to Iran’s economic recovery.
However, the arrangement has already faced uncertainty after Iranian military officials claimed the Strait of Hormuz had been closed again in response to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, underscoring ongoing volatility in the region despite diplomatic efforts.
