U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against CNN over its reporting on Iran, following controversy surrounding a purported statement tied to a Nigerian fake news website.

 

Trump had originally given Iran until 8 p.m. ET Tuesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning a refusal would mean a “whole civilization will die.”

 

 

Around 90 minutes before that deadline, Trump and the White House released statements, stating that the U.S. and Iran had agreed to negotiate an end to hostilities, which would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a two-week suspension of fighting.

 

Following the announcement, CNN published a post to its online live blog detailing the Iranian response.

 

“Iran says it has achieved a great victory and forced the United States to accept its 10-point plan, according to a statement from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council report by Iranian state media,” the post read.

 

In a strongly worded response, Trump dismissed the report attributed to CNN World News as fraudulent, claiming the network knowingly amplified misinformation. According to him, the disputed statement originated from a fake news platform based in Nigeria and was subsequently picked up and presented by CNN as a legitimate headline.

 

“The alleged Statement put out by CNN World News is a FRAUD, as CNN well knows. The false Statement was linked to a Fake News site (from Nigeria) and, of course, immediately picked up by CNN, and blared out as a ‘legitimate’ headline,” Trump wrote.

 

The president ordered the outlet to remove the reporting and threatened an investigation into CNN.

 

“Authorities are looking to determine whether or not a crime was committed on the issuance of the Fake CNN World Statement, or was it a sick rogue player? CNN is being ordered to immediately withdraw this Statement with full apologies for their, as usual, terrible ‘reporting,’ Trump said. “Results of the investigation will be announced in the near future.”