White House and Pentagon Denounce CNN Report on Iran Hormuz Planning as ‘Fake News’ After Network Issues Clarification
White House and Pentagon officials — including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who called the CNN story “100% FAKE NEWS,” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who dismissed it as “patently ridiculous” — denounced a CNN report that the Trump team underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz after CNN clarified that top Trump officials had briefed lawmakers on long‑standing military plans but that “multiple sources” said there were no near‑term solutions. CNN CEO Mark Thompson stood by the reporting, Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton accused a leaker of lying, and the Pentagon has separately moved to bar photographers from some Hegseth briefings amid growing tensions with the press.
📌 Key Facts
- White House and Pentagon officials publicly denounced a CNN report about U.S. planning for a potential Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz as “fake news”; Pentagon spokesman Pete Hegseth called the report “patently ridiculous” and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted “100% FAKE NEWS” on X.
- CNN issued a clarification saying top Trump officials had briefed lawmakers on long‑standing military plans for a major disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, while reiterating that “multiple sources” told the network there were no near‑term solutions; CNN CEO Mark Thompson said the network stands by its reporting.
- Leavitt and other administration allies defended existing plans, with Leavitt saying Operation Epic Fury was explicitly designed to destroy Iran’s ability to close the Strait by targeting its navy, missiles, drones and other capabilities and that President Trump, Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Cain and Secretary Hegseth were fully briefed.
- Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton publicly accused the leaker(s) and criticized CNN’s fact‑checking, posting that “whoever leaked this lied.”
- The Pentagon has imposed new restrictions on still photographers at Pentagon war briefings; reporting says Hegseth’s aides moved to bar photographers after objecting to images of him at an earlier Iran‑war briefing, and the Associated Press, Reuters and Getty Images were identified as affected outlets; the National Press Club formally condemned the restrictions and media reporting noted not all sourcing could be independently verified.
- Hegseth also publicly praised prospective CNN owner David Ellison as a positive development for the network as the Ellison family is expected to gain control of CNN through major media merger activity that drew administration approval.
- Reporting reiterated war background: the Iran conflict has killed at least 13 U.S. service members, cost over $11.3 billion, contributed to chaos in the Persian Gulf and a near‑total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and a preliminary U.S. military investigation found the U.S. responsible for a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school.
📊 Relevant Data
In a 2026 NPR poll, 59% of Americans overall opposed U.S. military action in Iran, with higher opposition among Black (68%) and Latino (60%) respondents compared to White respondents (52%).
Poll: A majority of Americans opposes U.S. military action in Iran — NPR
As of 2024, there were approximately 750,000 Iranian Americans in the U.S., representing 0.2% of the population, with many arriving after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War due to political upheaval and conflict.
7 facts about Iranians in the U.S. — Pew Research Center
U.S. military planners have long warned and prepared for the possibility of Iran attempting to close the Strait of Hormuz in the event of conflict, with planning dating back decades.
What is the strait of Hormuz and can the US stop Iran from blocking it? — The Guardian
Black Americans are less likely to support U.S. wars due to higher casualty sensitivity, with research showing they express greater concern about potential war casualties compared to White Americans.
Research Reveals Persistent Racial Gap in Americans' Support of War — Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly called a specific CNN story about U.S. planning for a potential Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz “100% FAKE NEWS” on X, asserting the Pentagon had planned for that scenario for decades.
- Leavitt stated that Operation Epic Fury was explicitly designed to destroy Iran’s ability to close the Strait by targeting its navy, missiles, drones and other capabilities, and insisted Trump, Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Cain and Secretary Pete Hegseth were fully briefed on the risk.
- Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton said on X that “whoever leaked this lied” and accused CNN of failing to fact‑check, adding another senior, on‑the‑record denial.
- CNN issued a clarification noting that top Trump officials had briefed lawmakers on long‑standing military plans for a major disruption to the Strait, while reiterating that “multiple sources” said there were no near‑term solutions, and CEO Mark Thompson said the network stands by its journalism.
- Hegseth, in Pentagon remarks, called the CNN piece “more fake news” and “patently ridiculous,” emphasizing that Iranian threats to Hormuz are a long‑known contingency.
- At a March 13 Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called media reporting on the Iran war 'fake news' and claimed press coverage emphasizing U.S. casualties and economic fallout is intentionally negative.
- Hegseth specifically attacked a CNN report (later confirmed by MS NOW) that the Trump administration underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz, dismissing it as 'patently ridiculous' despite its multi‑source backing.
- He publicly praised prospective CNN owner David Ellison, saying 'The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better,' as the administration is expected to approve a $110 billion Paramount–Warner Bros. merger putting the Ellison family in control of CNN.
- The article reiterates that the Iran war has killed at least 13 U.S. service members, cost over $11.3 billion, driven chaos in the Persian Gulf and soaring energy prices after a near‑total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and that a preliminary U.S. military investigation has found the U.S. responsible for a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school.
- The piece notes Trump has previously accused CNN of 'fake news' and that the Ellison family’s earlier acquisition of Paramount (parent of CBS News) was completed with the Trump administration’s blessing, including a $16 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris.
- Washington Post reporting (cited here) says Hegseth’s aides moved to bar photographers from subsequent Pentagon war briefings specifically because they disliked how he looked in images from his first Iran‑war briefing in months.
- The outlets affected at that initial briefing are identified as the Associated Press, Reuters, and Getty Images, whose photos are widely syndicated globally.
- National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. formally condemned the new restrictions in a written statement on Wednesday.
- This piece ties the still‑photographer ban directly to a pattern of prior Hegseth actions: his demand last year that Pentagon reporters agree to only publish administration‑authorized information or lose access and badges, and his replacement of legacy reporters with a roster of far‑right activists and influencers who accepted those conditions.
- MS NOW notes it has not independently verified every element of the Washington Post’s sourcing on staff objections to the photos, but confirms on the record that the Pentagon has indeed imposed the new photographic restrictions.