Trump lashes out at New York Times over Iran war coverage

President Donald Trump issued a furious overnight response, between Sunday and Monday, to a New York Times headline that said little had changed after nearly four months of war with Iran and questioned the campaign’s results. Trump, who is in the middle of historic diplomatic talks with Iran in Switzerland, rejected the paper’s framing and listed what he described as major gains against Tehran.

Writing on his social media platform, Trump quoted the headline, calling the newspaper “corrupt and failing,” and added, “Really?” He then said Iran’s army was “finished,” its navy and air force were gone, and its missile launchers, missiles, drones, and production capacity were almost gone. He also claimed both top layers of Iran’s leadership were gone, its inflation was at 250%, its economy was broken, and its soldiers were unpaid.

Trump also said the United States had achieved important gains, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, ensuring oil kept flowing, and sending U.S. stock markets and employment to historic highs. He ended by addressing the newspaper directly: “This is what changed, you cowardly, corrupt and unethical people. And there is much more!”

His post came as U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland ended after 18 hours of intense negotiations. Qatar and Pakistan, the mediating states, announced a mechanism to prevent friction in Lebanon, which was presented as a sign of some progress. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, said he spoke with the president for 4.5 hours on Friday and warned that if diplomacy fails, Trump will “take the Strait of Hormuz” and the U.S. will charge those passing through it to pay for the operation.