By Juan S. Larrosa-Fuentes, June 23, 2025
On Saturday, June 21, the United States launched a direct attack on Iran. The operation involved B‑2 Spirit bombers, capable of deploying high-precision munitions. The target — according to official reports — was to destroy facilities allegedly linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
This action marks a turning point in contemporary geopolitics. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the United States had not carried out a direct military intervention on Iranian soil. Over the past 45 years, it had employed tools such as diplomacy, economic sanctions, cyberattacks, and espionage — but not airstrikes of this magnitude. Following the attack, the U.S. press woke up in shock, as Trump made the decision unilaterally, without consulting Congress or coordinating with key allies.
In terms of information flow, we are witnessing a different kind of conflict compared to those in earlier historical moments. Unlike the wars of the 20th century — when news took days or weeks to disseminate — we now watch airstrikes unfold live, followed immediately by reactions from President Trump, statements by Pete Hegseth (currently serving as Secretary of Defense), and responses from both the Iranian government and international diplomacy. This immediacy of information carries a significant risk: propaganda and disinformation are everywhere, flooding communication networks and spreading rapidly.
To contextualize disinformation during wartime, one only needs to recall the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The George W. Bush administration claimed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction — a claim later debunked — which served to justify a war with devastating consequences. Today, 22 years later, we are facing a similar scenario: an attack based on the supposed existence of a nuclear program in Iran. At the same time, the real extent of the damage caused by the U.S. offensive remains unknown.
This does not mean Iran’s nuclear program doesn’t exist. This commentary aims to underscore that, in the past, wars have been initiated based on false premises and systematic propaganda campaigns. In light of this, it is crucial, as global citizens, to be especially careful with the information we consume. Ideally, we should rely on professional news outlets with verified data and rigorous fact-checking. Conversely, we should steer clear of internet rumors and influencers without recognized credentials.
What’s at stake is not just an armed conflict, but our very ability to understand and discuss it responsibly.
This piece was originally read on the NTR Radio news program broadcast on June 23, 2025, hosted by journalist Sergio René de Dios Corona.