CNN host Erin Burnett fact-checked a social media post by former President Donald Trump that included an image of a bombing, which Trump presented as retaliation for recent Iranian actions against ships. Burnett reported that the image was an altered photograph from an Israeli attack on an oil depot in Tehran on June 15, 2025, not an event from the previous day as Trump implied.
Trump had shared the image on Truth Social, accompanied by text stating, "This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" The post was shared by the X account Open Source Intel.
Burnett highlighted the discrepancy on CNN's "OutFront," stating, "So there's a lot of confusion about what's being posted and the accuracy." She explained that the image Trump shared actually depicted an Israeli strike on the Shahran oil depot in June of the previous year.
The Open Source Intel account later acknowledged the error, admitting on X that the image had been inaccurately attributed to the recent attacks. The account stated, "Our mistake…caught and corrected. We post hundreds of times a day in real time. We’ll occasionally get one wrong." They added that the image was widely shared before the correction could be made and that it was a significant lesson in responsibility.
Online observers also noted the inaccuracy of Trump's post, with some, like Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute, criticizing the use of what they called "fake news."