The morning after Donald Trump called off a retaliatory strike on Iran for shooting down an unmanned US drone, rumours circulated claiming the president was watching Fox News’ Tucker Carlson when he abruptly made the decision to stop the military action in its tracks.

Those unverified claims turned out to be false — Mr Carlson’s show began at 8pm, shortly after the president halted the strike — but the fact that they were believed by so many who shared them across social media spoke to an issue increasingly concerning US officials.

Multiple nuclear and national security experts told The Independent the day after Mr Trump called off the strikes that, while the president may have temporarily eased tensions with Iran, his misleading information about the country’s nuclear deal is “misguided,” “counterproductive” and could lead to broader international conflict.

The president has frequently received information that “is not fact based” and “has no resemblance to what is actually happening in the world,” in a pattern that “has led to both unsteady and unreliable actions … to the detriment of American security,” according to Jon Wolfsthal, former senior director for arms control and nonproliferation at the National Security Council under Barack Obama.

The former official said Mr Trump has denied the facts about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement reached in 2015 commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, which ended sanctions against the country in exchange for restrictions towards its nuclear programme.

“The president continues to lie about what the [Iran Nuclear Deal] did and how the US engaged Iran under President Obama,” Mr Wolfsthal told The Independent on Friday. “It is clear he does not understand what the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action did, does or what he wants to achieve with respect to Iran. In fact, it is not clear to any one what American goals are for Iran under President Trump.”

Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Show all 17 1 /17 Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, their surface-to-air missile is seen as it shoots down a US surveillance drone EPA Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures This photo shows US RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned surveillance drone. A drone of this model was shot down by Iran on Thursday 21 June AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures An oil tanker is on fire after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13. The US has blamed Iran for the attack Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures US President Trump holds up a signed executive order to increase sanctions on Iran on 24 June AP Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iranian President Rouhani stated in a televised address that the White House is "afflicted by mental retardation" following the increase in sanctions on 25 June EPA Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures An Iranian navy boat tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Iran claims that in this picture released by Iran state TV, debris from the downed US drone is seen after it was recovered from Iranian waters AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures A screenshot from a video released by the US Department of Defense that the US claims to show Iranian removing an unexploded limpet mine form the hull of the Japan-owned ship that was attacked in the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures An item reportedly found on the Japan-owned oil tanker that was attacked on June 13 in the Gulf of Oman AFP/Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures A handout photograph from the US Department of Defense shows a composite material that the US claim was left behind on the hull of the Japan-owned oil tanker following the removal of an unexploded limpet mine Getty Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures A view from the cabin of an Iranian navy boat as it tackles the fire on the Norwegian owned Front Altair oil tanker after it was hit in a suspected attack EPA Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Release by US government A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The picture suggests that the ship is 'likely' to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Smoke billows from an oil tanker after it was subject to a suspected attacked at the Gulf of Oman on June 13 Reuters Tensions high as Trump approves new Iran sanctions: In pictures Release by US government A picture released by U.S. Central Command shows damage to the hull of the oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The pictures suggests that the ship is 'likely' to have been hit by a mine as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo moves to blame Iran for the suspected attack EPA

Mr Trump unleashed a series of angry tweets on Friday morning, describing the nuclear deal as “desperate” and “terrible” while claiming his predecessor’s administration gave Iran “150 Billion Dollars [£118bn] plus 1.8 Billion Dollars [£1.4bn] in CASH!”

“On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters,” he continued. “We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone.”

Officials immediately disputed the president’s misleading claims, including Matthew Bunn, a Harvard professor and member of the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee, who said “it’s crucial to turn down the temperature to avoid a catastrophic war that neither side appears to want.”

“All of these false or misleading statements have been gone through at some length when Trump first pulled out of the Iran deal,” Mr Bunn told The Independent. “The United States did not ‘give’ Iran any money. Instead, Iranian assets that had been frozen as part of sanctions were released — it was money that belonged to the Iranians. And when all was said and done it was much less than $150bn (£118bn).”

Despite many officials refuting the president’s claims surrounding the nuclear deal, several who spoke to The Independent said it remains unclear whether or not he was right about the US drone being taken down over international waters, rather than in Iranian air space, as the country has suggested.

“I take the US military at their word that this drone did not enter Iranian air space and was shot down in international waters,” Mr Wolfsthal said. “I would not be surprised to learn, however, that other US surveillance assets have penetrated Iranian airspace or that Iran does not have all of the equipment needed to keep accurate track of its airspace.”

Mr Trump appeared to walk back threats of an aggressive military response on Thursday when he suggested a “loose and stupid” Iranian officer may have attacked the drone, adding “it would have made a big, big difference” if the drone had been manned.

The theory that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was not involved in ordering the drone strike was supported in part by Mr Bunn, who said “with tensions this high, things can happen that neither leader directed.”

Martin Malin, a nonproliferation expert and executive director of the project on managing the atom at the Belfer Centre, told The Independent “the president exercised healthy caution in reversing the order to attack Iran.”

“Diplomats on both sides are looking for a way out of the crisis,” he added. “The focus ought to be on deescalating tensions in the Persian Gulf region, which will inevitably require having not only Iran at the table, but also Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.”

“The Trump administration has the leverage to bring about regional discussions that could end the crisis, ensure that the Gulf remains open to shipping, and open the way to broader confidence building in the region,” he added.”

Early Friday morning, Hesameddin Ashena, a top adviser to the Iranian president, tweeted a statement calling sanctions on Iran “economic terrorism.” He said the country would respond to sanctions threatened after the US drone strike “by all means necessary,” before describing the conflict as “reversible.”

“Every tangible constructive step will be met in kind,” he said.

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Mr Trump has not laid out a plan to address the burgeoning conflict with Iran, nor has he hinted at what potential military action could occur if the country were to continue targeting US assets.