On Wednesday, Trump spoke to the nation on Iran missile attack. Now, it’s time to fact check Trump’s claims:
“The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration.”
-Donald J. Trump
Claims and Facts:
- Claim: “Iran’s hostilities substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013.”
- Fact: JCPOA signed in 2015.
- Claim: Trump has repeatedly claimed Iran received $150 billion and an additional $1.8 billion in cash, which Trump claimed Iran used to fund a “terror spree” in the Middle East.
- Fact: There was no $150 billion gift from the U.S. treasury or other countries. Iran was allowed to get its OWN money back from assets that were unfrozen as part of the sanctions relief included in the deal.
- More Facts: The $1.8 billion was paid because of undelivered military equipment from the U.S. to Iran in the 1970s.
Other outright lies and misleading claims:
- Claim: “Three months ago after destroying 100% of ISIS and its territorial caliphate, we killed the savage leader of ISIS, (Abu Baker) al-Baghdadi, who was responsible for so much death, including the mass beheadings of Christians, Muslims, and all who stood in his way. He was a monster. Al-Baghdadi was trying again to rebuild the ISIS caliphate and failed.”
- Fact: About half of the territory held by ISIS, had been regained by the Obama administration.
- NBC News reported that U.S. military officials said days after al-Baghdadi’s death that ISIS fighters had found a haven in an isolated area of Iraq.
- After the killing of Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani, the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria suspended its fight against ISIS.
- Claim: “The very defective (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) expires shortly anyway and gives Iran a clear and quick path to nuclear breakout.” False.
- Fact: Iran deal put a cap on enriched uranium that would have lasted until 2030.
- Some of the deal’s restrictions would have eased beginning in 2025.
- Other terms would have lasted forever, including the prohibition on manufacturing a nuclear weapon and a provision requiring compliance with oversight from international inspectors.
- Claim: “We are now the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world.”
- Fact: The United States has been the world’s largest oil producer since 2012 and the top natural gas producer for years.
- Claim: “We are independent, and we do not need Middle East oil.”
- Fact: Half True.
