Trump administration threatens media over critical coverage of Iran war

US President Donald Trump's administration on Sunday warned news media outlets over what is considers as critical coverage of Iran war. The administration warned that media outlets could have their broadcasting license revoked, if they are found to be involved in distortion of news.

"The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not," Brendan Carr, Chairman of Federal Communications Commission, said in a post on X.

Carr highlighted that the American people have subsidised broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves, and they should correct their course before their license renewals come up.

His statement comes in response to a social media post from Trump, accusing the 'fake news media' of reporting that US refuelling planes have been struck in an Iranian attack in Saudi Arabia.

More from World

"The Lowlife papers and Media actually want us to lose the war. Their terrible reporting is the exact opposite of the actual facts! They are truly sick and demented people that have no idea the damage they cause the United States of America," Trump had said.

Warning by Carr brought swift condemnation from Democrats and free-speech advocates, who likened his remarks to censorship.

"This is a clear directive to provide positive war coverage or else licenses may not be renewed," Brian Schatz, Senator from Hawaii, wrote on X. "This is worse than the comedian stuff, and by a lot. The stakes here are much higher. He’s not talking about late-night shows, he’s talking about how a war is covered."

Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), also criticised the administration for its attempt to silence negative war coverage. "The president's hand-picked misinformation czar is at it again, singling out 'fake news' that conflicts with his boss's political agenda. The First Amendment doesn't allow the government to censor information about the war it's waging," he wrote on X.

War remains unpopular

Trump's attack on the media, blaming it for shaping fake narratives, comes in the backdrop of several surveys that show the Iran war remains largely unpopular in the US.

A poll conducted in the hours after the US and Israel launched the operation against Iran shows dismal approval for the strikes from the public.

The poll conducted by Reuters Ipsos showed that only one in four respondents approved of the US-Israeli attacks.

Trump's assertion that framed Iran as an existential threat to the US, and accusing it of waging a war against 'civilisation itself' was also rejected by the people who participated in the survey. 43 percent of the respondents said that they disapproved the war and another 29 per cent saying that they were unsure.

A recent Quinnipiac poll also found that 53 per cent of voters oppose the military action against Iran, including 89 per cent of Democrats and 60 per cent of independent voters.

Trump, meanwhile, asserts that the war is proceeding successfully. “We’ve won. Let me tell you, we’ve won,” he said at a rally this week. “In the first hour, it was over.”