White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has sharply criticized CNN for what she described as inaccurate reporting on U.S. military planning regarding the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, calling it “unequivocally false” and “fake news.”
In recent statements, Leavitt addressed a CNN article by senior national security reporter Zachary Cohen and contributors Phil Mattingly, Kylie Atwood, and Kevin Liptak. The original report claimed that the Pentagon and National Security Council had significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S. military strikes. It cited multiple sources familiar with classified briefings, stating that top Trump administration officials acknowledged to lawmakers that they did not plan for the possibility of Iran closing the strait, partly because officials believed such a move would harm Iran more than the U.S.—a view reinforced by Iran’s past unfulfilled threats following strikes on its nuclear facilities last summer.
Leavitt pushed back forcefully, stating that reporters often treat anonymous sources as “gospel truth” without verification from those directly involved. She emphasized that the Pentagon has accounted for potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of planning for the operation, describing it as a long-standing consideration in U.S. military strategy. Leavitt said she spent nearly an hour on the phone rebutting the story, leading CNN to issue a clarification. The updated article noted that top administration officials had briefed lawmakers on long-standing military plans to address major disruptions to the strait, according to one official, though multiple sources indicated no near-term solutions were discussed.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also condemned the reporting as “patently ridiculous,” noting that Iran has threatened shipping in the strait for decades as a tactic to hold it “hostage.” He described the CNN piece as “fundamentally unserious.”
A Republican representative echoed the criticism during a discussion, calling the story “obtuse” and highlighting that the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz has been recognized in military planning since at least 1979 due to its geographic role as a choke point. The lawmaker expressed disbelief at suggestions that the military establishment had not built Middle East policy around this reality.
The backlash extended beyond the administration, with public commentators and writers like Ian Miller sarcastically noting CNN‘s pattern of issuing clarifications after initial reports proved inaccurate.
This incident is part of a broader challenging period for CNN, which has faced multiple corrections recently. In one case, host Abby Phillip issued both a social media statement and an on-air apology for incorrectly stating that homemade bombs thrown by ISIS-inspired suspects in New York City over the weekend were directed at Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She clarified that the devices targeted a crowd assembled outside his residence protesting an anti-Islam agenda, taking full responsibility for the error.
During a CNN panel discussion, contributor Lydia Moynihan criticized certain media headlines and Democratic politicians, suggesting they appeared to root for U.S. failure in the Iran conflict due to antipathy toward President Donald Trump. She pointed to examples like headlines implying U.S. capability showing “signs of rot,” the Iran regime “doing well,” or the U.S. having “no strategy,” arguing that while the press should be skeptical, recent coverage seemed overly negative.
Leavitt urged the public to be mindful of sources and question what they read, amid ongoing tensions in the region involving Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil and gas shipments.