‘Correct Course Or Lose License’: Trump Administration Warns US Broadcasters Over Iran War Coverage

Last Updated:March 15, 2026, 06:38 IST

FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned US broadcasters they could lose licenses for airing misleading reports on the Iran-US war.

Iran-US War: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairperson Brendan Carr on Saturday (local time) warned US broadcasters that they could risk losing their licences if they air what he described as misleading or distorted reports related to the ongoing war with Iran.

He said that broadcasters must operate in the public interest, according to the law, “and they will lose their licenses if they do not."

“Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not," he said in a post on X.

Carr also argued that restoring credibility would benefit news outlets themselves, claiming public trust in traditional outlets had fallen sharply. He said that trust in legacy media had dropped to around 9 percent and described some networks as struggling with declining ratings.

“The American people have subsidized broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves. It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news," he added.

Carr’s warning came after US President Donald Trump rejected media reports claiming American refuelling aircraft were destroyed during an Iranian strike on a Saudi air base, insisting that none of the planes had been “struck" or “destroyed" and were already back in operation.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, five US refuelling tanker aircraft were struck during the attack. Trump, however, rejected that claim in a post on Truth Social, calling the headline “intentionally misleading".

The US President said four of the five United States Air Force refuelling planes had “virtually no damage" and were already back in service, while the fifth aircraft had only minor damage and would return to operations soon.

Trump also criticised several media outlets, including The New York Times, accusing them of spreading distorted information about developments linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration criticised CNN for airing first remarks by Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

One of the US government’s account on X, known as Rapid Response 47, accused the broadcaster of amplifying Iranian state messaging.

News world ‘Correct Course Or Lose License’: Trump Administration Warns US Broadcasters Over Iran War Coverage

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