Trump’s Claims Under Scrutiny: Discrepancies on Oil, Gaza, and Iran War
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the New York Times has fact-checked several inaccurate or exaggerated claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
Oil: Trump stated that the United States and Venezuela control over 60 percent of the world’s oil. However, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicates that these two countries collectively possess 22 percent of the global oil reserves, amounting to 349 billion barrels. Their production accounts for 23 percent of global output, not 60 percent.
Gaza War: Trump also asserted that he ended the Israeli regime’s war against the Gaza Strip and saved thousands of lives. The New York Times reported that the ceasefire achieved in October 2025 did not lead to a complete cessation of Israeli regime attacks on Gaza, resulting in over a thousand deaths since then. Furthermore, Netanyahu has expressed his opposition to a 15-point plan supported by the Trump administration.
Drugs: Regarding drug trafficking, Trump claimed that U.S. attacks on drug smuggling boats had halted 97 percent of maritime drug transit, leading to a proportional decrease in drug smuggling. The New York Times reported this claim to be baseless, with experts in the region suggesting that these attacks merely led to a change in smuggling routes. An internal report from the Drug Enforcement Administration indicated that these operations had no impact on the cocaine supply chain or its price within the United States.
War Against Iran: Trump also exaggerated the abundance of military ammunition and arms stockpiles despite their significant consumption during the war against Iran, claiming he played a role in ending eight wars. In several of these instances, only a ceasefire was announced, or the conflicts were not definitively concluded.
He stated that he had attracted $21 trillion in foreign capital, a figure that includes significant pledges and previously announced investments. Trump also claimed to have signed the largest tax cut in history, a reduction that actually ranks sixth.
The New York Times concluded that the figures announced in Trump’s speech are not supported by published reports and data, particularly concerning oil, drugs, arms stockpiles, and wars.
