SPLIT DECISION

WSJ Published Iran-Israel Story Despite Newsroom Objections: Report

Reporters from the newspaper’s D.C. bureau apparently wanted more time to verify Iran’s role in the recent Hamas attacks.

The Wall Street Journal reportedly published a story connecting Iran to the latest attacks on Israel despite pleas from its Washington-based reporters for more time to verify its contents. A report from Semafor, which spoke to three unidentified newsroom sources with “knowledge of the situation,” said the Oct. 8 story published by the Journal and written by the outlet’s Middle East correspondents ran afoul of some of the newspaper’s veteran national security reporters in its Washington, D.C. bureau. The U.S.-based journalists said they were having trouble confirming the allegations and wanted more time before the piece was published. The Journal says it is “standing by our reporting,” a spokesperson for the paper told Semafor. The claims have been denied by the U.S., Israel, Iran, and even Hamas leaders.