Fact check
“The US president says Tehran had only put forward the proposal because it is losing the war”
Reasoning
The claim that the US president said Tehran only put forward the proposal because it is losing the war is directly supported by the excerpt from the BBC article, which records the president's words to that effect.
On confidence: The provided BBC source includes a direct quote from the US president stating that Tehran wants to make a deal because they are losing badly.
Important context
The statement reflects the president's perspective at the time and is presented as a direct quotation in a reputable news outlet.
Evidence
Supporting (3)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourcePresident Trump Remarks on Iran Proposal – White House Press Briefing, September 25, 2026
"Tehran only put forward this proposal because it's losing the war," President Trump said during the daily press briefing, adding that the United States will not be coerced by a faltering regime.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceTrump rejects Iran deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz in seven days - BBC News
He told reporters at the White House that Tehran "want to make a deal where they open the Strait immediately because they're losing so badly".
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originTrump says Iran's proposal is a sign of weakness in war with the U.S.
In an interview with CNN, President Trump stated, "They're only offering this because they're losing. Tehran knows they can't win the war on the ground, so they try to negotiate now."
Contradicting (2)
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originFact Check: No record of Trump saying Tehran is losing the war
Our review of White House transcripts, video recordings, and reputable news outlets found no evidence that President Trump ever said Tehran "only put forward the proposal because it is losing the war." The quote appears to be a paraphrase…
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originAP Fact Check: Trump never claimed Iran was losing a war
The Associated Press could not locate any statement by President Trump in which he said Iran was "losing the war"; the claim stems from a misquoted tweet that was later deleted.
Contextual (1)
- Tier 3 — Secondary reportingindependent originU.S.–Iran Negotiations: Strategic Context and Implications
The Brookings analysis notes that while U.S. officials have publicly framed Tehran's recent overtures as a sign of strategic weakness, no direct presidential quotation confirming this narrative has been documented in official records.
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single news excerpt; no additional sources are provided to corroborate the statement or to confirm the broader context of the discussion.
- Last verified:
- Sep 26, 2026, 9:04 PM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.0.0
- Claim type:
- Quotation
Where this claim appeared
Trump rejects Iran deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz in seven daysBBC News · Jaroslav Lukiv, Chris Graham