Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr issued a public warning Saturday to television broadcasters regarding their coverage of Iran-related news, threatening potential action against broadcast licenses for what he characterized as misleading reporting.

Carr posted on social media that broadcasters airing what he termed "fake news" and "hoaxes and news distortions" should "correct course before their license renewals come up." He stated that "the law is clear" and that "broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not."

The FCC chair did not specify which networks or broadcasts prompted his warning. His social media post appeared to reference coverage related to Iran war reporting, though he did not elaborate on specific claims he considered problematic.

Carr's statement coincided with criticism from President Trump on his Truth Social platform regarding media coverage of Iran-related topics, though the FCC chair did not explicitly connect his warning to the president's comments.

Broadcast television stations must renew their licenses with the FCC every eight years. The agency has authority to review whether stations operate in the public interest as part of the renewal process, though license revocations based on content are rare in modern regulatory history.

The warning represents an unusual public threat by an FCC chair to use licensing authority in response to news coverage, raising questions about potential regulatory action against broadcast media outlets.