Real News: Donald Trump slips, says “Islamic Republic of Japan” fired missiles at U.S. aircraft carrier
Thai PBS Verify traced the genuine news source to: X
Thai PBS Verify found a post on X by user Aaron Rupar, stating:
Trump: “We had 11 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan”
Did Trump really say “Islamic Republic of Japan”?
Keyword checks confirmed that Tan Lok Thai PBS reported on Trump’s slip of the tongue. The report noted that Trump mistakenly referred to the Islamic Republic of Japan after Iran’s attack on U.S. forces. This coverage was published on 9 July 2026.
Video clip of U.S. President Donald Trump mistakenly referring to Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan”
News content reported:
AFP reported that U.S. President Donald Trump made a serious verbal slip, mistakenly referring to Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
NHK reported that Trump also pointed toward President Zelensky and asked journalists: “Do you have any questions for President Putin?”
Trump thus confused the Ukrainian leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump’s slip caught on video
In addition, we found that the UK’s The Independent reported under the headline: Internet jumps on Trump after his gaffes at NATO meetings: ‘His brain is mush’. The article described how critics mercilessly mocked President Donald Trump on social media after he referred to Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan,” along with several other shocking mistakes during his press conference at the NATO summit on Wednesday.
During a joint Q&A session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump told reporters: “The Islamic Republic of Japan” fired 111 missiles at U.S. aircraft, though it was apparent he meant to say the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Report from The Independent
What is the truth?
- Donald Trump did make the mistake: The video clip is authentic. U.S. President Donald Trump made a major verbal slip during a press conference at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey.
- Confused “Iran” with “Japan”: While answering questions from the press alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump intended to refer to an attack by “the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Instead, he mistakenly said “the Islamic Republic of Japan” had fired missiles at U.S. aircraft and forces.
- Mixed up Ukrainian and Russian leaders: Beyond the Japan–Iran confusion, Trump shocked audiences again by pointing to President Zelensky (standing beside him) and asking reporters: “Do you have any questions for President Putin?” — showing he had confused the Ukrainian leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Verification Process
- Tracing the viral origin: The initial post came from X user Aaron Rupar, who shared a clip with the caption “Trump: ‘We had 11 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan’” on 8 July 2026. The post quickly went viral, reaching 18 million views.
- Cross‑checking with international news agencies:
- AFP and NHK: Both outlets reported that the incident occurred at the NATO Summit. Trump was visibly confused, misnaming Iran as the Islamic Republic of Japan and referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Coverage by The Independent (UK): The outlet published a report noting that the internet and political opponents mocked Trump relentlessly on social media for these mistakes, with critics saying “His brain is mush” after a string of gaffes during Wednesday’s press conference.
- Confirmation from Thai PBS: Thai PBS also published a report titled “Trump mistakenly says Islamic Republic of Japan after Iran attacks U.S.” on 9 July 2026, confirming the same facts.
The viral clip has been verified as authentic. It is not edited or manipulated.
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