US news regulator warns media over war reporting

Iran warns against wider war as Trump asks allies to escort ships

New York: The top U.S. broadcast regulator on Saturday warned media outlets over negative coverage of the Middle East war, after President Donald Trump criticised critical headlines from what he called the "fake news media".

Since his first term, Trump has frequently attacked mainstream media as "fake news" and has sued major outlets over coverage he considers unfair.


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Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - which oversees U.S. radio, television and internet media - said broadcasters could risk losing their licences over their news coverage. "The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licences if they do not," Carr said in a post on X.

"Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as fake news - now have a chance to correct course before their licence renewals come up."

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Carr did not name any specific outlet, but his post included a Trump social media message criticising what the president called "an intentionally misleading headline by the Fake News Media" about five tanker aircraft reportedly hit in Iranian strikes in Saudi Arabia.