Fox News has admitted to using an “unverified and inaccurate” quote from an Iranian general on air last week, saying, “We regret that error.”
Anchor Bill Hemmer read the bogus quote from Ahmad Vahidi, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during an August 6 episode of America’s Newsroom.
“As long as the United States and Israel possess nuclear weapons, we will continue working on them for our national security. If they disarm, we will disarm,” Hemmer read on air.
But on Thursday’s show, Hemmer said the quote was “incorrectly attributed.”
“Since that time, we’ve learned that quote was unverified and inaccurate, and we regret that error,” he said.
When Fox News aired the quote last week, Hemmer asked General Joseph Votel, former leader of U.S. Central Command, for his opinion.
“Did he just say the quiet part out loud about its intention?” Hemmer asked Votel.
“I think he certainly did,” Votel said, adding, “The challenge with dealing with the Iranians is that you do have some on the political side who appear to be a little more rational and willing to come to the table.
“And then you have this hardcore Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership that views this as existential, and does not care about the economy, does not care about the people of Iran, really only cares about being in power. They’re going to continue to complicate this process the whole way through.”
Throughout the Iran war, President Donald Trump has continued to make clear that he will not stop until Iran commits to never obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon.
But it’s been over five months since the U.S. and Israel began launching strikes against Iran, and any peace deal, let alone one where Iran makes concessions on nuclear weapons, is nowhere in sight.
The war — which has driven up gas prices with Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz — is also deeply unpopular, with only 35 percent of Americans supporting it in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
