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Iran says seven tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz; Trump says the attacks were faked as oil hits a five-month high

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said seven tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, claims that could not be verified. Trump said Iran was faking attacks to push up oil before the midterms, as Brent rose above $113.

L 56% · C 9% · R 35% · 23 outlets

Left 0 · Centre-left 13 · Centre 2 · Centre-right 5 · Right 3

Sources by leanFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

Escalation risk: 'fears grow of a return to war' (AP, NBC), 'attacks threaten global supply' (Guardian), and seafarers 'refusing to cross, cannot escape' (Euronews).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Iran: 7 ships hit in the Strait of Hormuz” (The Hill); “Oil prices steady as investors weigh geopolitics, lower US stockpiles” (Reuters).

Right-leaning outlets

Scepticism about Iran's claims: 'Trump rejects Iranian claims of tanker strikes' (Washington Times), 'Trump claims Iran faked Strait of Hormuz attacks to influence midterm elections' (Jerusalem Post).

Holding the paradox

Agreed facts

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said seven tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz overnight: four caught fire and three were disabled by mines. The claims could not be independently verified. The IRGC warned it could strike US bases if Washington keeps escorting tankers. Trump said Iran was 'making up fake hits' to push up oil prices before the US midterms. Brent rose above $113, its highest since May.

Where claims conflict

Whether the attacks happened as described: Iran says yes, Trump says they were faked, and UKMTO had not reported them. Bloomberg and Middle East Eye report Gulf oil exports near or above prewar levels despite the attacks, which complicates the picture of a supply shock.

The paradox

Oil prices jumped on attacks that may not have happened, while the oil itself kept flowing. In a war of claims, the market reacts to the story faster than the facts.

Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Left 3

Centre 3

Right 3

Showing 3 from each side of 23 rated outlets (L 13 / C 2 / R 8). 1 found by a targeted top-up search (marked; not counted in the split). More coverage

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (23 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
ABC NewsCentre-leftABC News is owned by The Walt Disney Company and funded through advertising. source
Al JazeeraCentre-leftAl Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source
Associated PressCentre-leftThe Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source
BloombergCentre-leftMichael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source
CNBCCentre-leftCNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source
EuronewsCentre-leftEuronews is owned by Alpac Capital, a Portugal-based investment fund that acquired an 88% stake in July 2022, with the remaining 12% held by government-supported broadcasters from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ownership also has business ties with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. source
Middle East EyeCentre-leftThe Middle East Eye lacks transparency as it does not easily provide ownership information. The website requires that you find ownership information on their Terms and Conditions page, which indicates M.E.E Ltd is the owner. The website also does not indicate that Jamal Bessasso is the owner of M.E.E Ltd. source
NBC NewsCentre-leftNo ownership data found
The GuardianCentre-leftThe Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source
The Herald (Scotland)Centre-leftThe Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source
The IndependentCentre-leftThe Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
The National (Scotland)Centre-leftThe National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source
Times of IsraelCentre-leftThe Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source
ReutersCentreIn April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
The HillCentreIn 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source
CBS NewsCentre-rightCBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source
ITV NewsCentre-rightNo ownership data found
Jerusalem PostCentre-rightIn 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source
Wall Street JournalCentre-rightIn 2007, The Bancroft family and relatives sold the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch for 5 billion dollars. Rupert Murdoch also purchased its parent company, Dow Jones & Co., through News Corporation. Subscriptions and advertising fund the Wall Street Journal. source
Washington TimesCentre-rightOperations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source
BreitbartRightAfter the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source
Israel HayomRightIsrael Hayom is owned by the family of Sheldon Adelson, an American businessman and casino tycoon. He was also one of the largest donors to the Republican Party. His wife Miriam Adelson is the publisher of the paper and also a prominent Republican donor. source
NewsmaxRightNewsmax is owned by publicly traded Newsmax Inc., which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX on March 31, 2025. The company completed a $75 million public offering after previously raising approximately $225 million through a preferred-stock offering. source