Semafor84%
Red Sea attacks spur fears of expanding Middle East war 97%
By Tom Chivers87%
7/23/2026, 4:55:23 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 13 faulty reasoning types, including Post Hoc (False Cause), Availability Heuristic, and Pessimism Bias, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 40.5% saturation with 51 hits. Analysis detected 351 faulty-reasoning hits from 126 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 95% and a BS Rank of 97% (727 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 96.70% of the article peer group.
Attacks on tankers in the Red Sea and US bases in the Gulf raised fears that the Middle East conflict could intensify.
Two Saudi ships were struck by Houthi militants, after the Iran-backed group warned it would blockade the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which about 10% of global trade passes.
Washington has reportedly moved more troops and ordnance to the Gulf as President Donald Trump considers stepping up hostilities in the wake of Iranian attacks that killed three US soldiers.
The accuracy and sophistication of Iranian strikes on CIA facilities raised questions about Russian involvement, Reuters reported.
The fighting and pressure on shipping pushed Brent crude prices above $98 for the first time since early June.
Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
8.3%PublicationSemafor
4.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
5%PublicationSemafor
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
31%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
31%AuthorTom Chivers
10.6%PublicationSemafor
5.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
0%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.8%PublicationSemafor
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.8%PublicationSemafor
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
3.1%PublicationSemafor
2.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
17.5%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
17.5%AuthorTom Chivers
18.4%PublicationSemafor
15.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
15.1%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
15.1%AuthorTom Chivers
0.9%PublicationSemafor
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.2%PublicationSemafor
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0.7%PublicationSemafor
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
9.1%PublicationSemafor
4.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
23.8%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
23.8%AuthorTom Chivers
8.1%PublicationSemafor
4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
40.5%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
40.5%AuthorTom Chivers
24%PublicationSemafor
12.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.8%PublicationSemafor
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
22.2%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
22.2%AuthorTom Chivers
1%PublicationSemafor
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.3%PublicationSemafor
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
23.8%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
23.8%AuthorTom Chivers
4.5%PublicationSemafor
3.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0.7%PublicationSemafor
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
13.5%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
13.5%AuthorTom Chivers
12.3%PublicationSemafor
7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
23.8%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
23.8%AuthorTom Chivers
3.4%PublicationSemafor
2.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
3.2%PublicationSemafor
2.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0.5%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
13.5%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
13.5%AuthorTom Chivers
18.8%PublicationSemafor
8.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.2%PublicationSemafor
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.1%PublicationSemafor
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
6.2%PublicationSemafor
6.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.3%PublicationSemafor
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
32.5%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
32.5%AuthorTom Chivers
10.7%PublicationSemafor
4.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1%PublicationSemafor
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.6%PublicationSemafor
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
0%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.8%PublicationSemafor
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
0%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
2.9%PublicationSemafor
2.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0.4%PublicationSemafor
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.7%PublicationSemafor
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
13.5%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
13.5%AuthorTom Chivers
4.6%PublicationSemafor
5.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
5%PublicationSemafor
3.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
7.9%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
7.9%AuthorTom Chivers
15.8%PublicationSemafor
9.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0.5%PublicationSemafor
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
0%PublicationSemafor
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
0%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
0%AuthorTom Chivers
1.3%PublicationSemafor
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
126 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.