Fact checkPoliticsPublished May 18, 2026
Wall Street Journal: “In April, reports said the Trump administration was considering a diplomatic reset with Eritrea.”. Our verdict: True.

The claim

“In April, reports said the Trump administration was considering a diplomatic reset with Eritrea.”

Wall Street JournalNews reportApril 23, 2026Read the original

WSJ reporting, followed by Semafor.

Our verdict

True

The WSJ reported on 23 April 2026 that the administration was exploring restoring relations with Eritrea and lifting some sanctions.

What we found

Africa envoy Massad Boulos reportedly met President Isaias Afwerki and told counterparts the US aimed to lift some sanctions. The State Department declined to comment. The claim accurately describes the reports.

The evidence

2 of 2 sources support the claim; none contradict it.

Contradict 0Support 2Background 0
  • Supports the claim

    US moves to normalise ties with Eritrea. [1]

  • Supports the claim

    The US seeks to reset ties with a reclusive but strategically vital African state. [2]

How we checked

We checked the claim against Semafor, WSJ via To Vima. We reviewed 2 relevant sources.

Sources

  1. [1]Semafor · US moves to normalize ties with Eritrea
  2. [2]WSJ via To Vima · U.S. seeks to reset ties with reclusive but strategically vital African state

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