Trump threatens to jail journalist over Iran rescue raid ‘leak’

The US president did not name the outlet or the reporter he called “a sick person”

US President Donald Trump has threatened to jail the journalist who first reported the details of a rescue mission for the two crew members of the US F-15E Strike Eagle which was shot down over Iran last week, unless they reveal the source of their information. 

Speaking at a White House press conference alongside top defense officials, Trump said that the pilot was recovered within hours on Friday, while the weapons systems officer – badly injured and hiding in a mountain crevice – was rescued early Sunday after a complex mission involving more than 150 aircraft.

Trump said the government had hoped to keep the second airman’s disappearance secret to prevent Iranian forces from capturing him. But after multiple news outlets reported that one crew member was still missing, Trump alleged the leaks had alerted Iran’s military and put the service member’s life in danger.

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“We’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘National security, give it up [the source] or go to jail,’” Trump told reporters. “The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say.”

“It became a much more difficult operation because a leaker leaked,” he said. “All of a sudden, the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life.”

The rescue mission involved an immense armada of 155 US aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 specialized rescue aircraft. The operation also involved hundreds of special operations troops, including Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos, who were inserted to extract the stranded airman.

Despite the mission’s success, with no American lives lost, the US suffered significant material losses. At least two transport planes became disabled at a remote Iranian air base during the extraction and were deliberately destroyed by US commanders to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. Additionally, two US Black Hawk helicopters were reportedly struck by Iranian fire, and an A-10 Warthog attack plane was hit but managed to limp back to Kuwaiti airspace, where its crew ejected.

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“So actually, the country Iran put out a major notice – you all saw it – offering a very big award for anybody that captures the pilot,” Trump said. “So in addition to a hostile, very talented, very good, very evil military, we had millions of people trying to get an award. So when you add that to it, we have to find that leaker, because that’s a sick person.”

The president did not identify the outlet or reporter he was targeting. A White House official said an investigation is underway.

Trump also used the briefing to issue a new ultimatum to Iran, threatening to destroy the country’s civilian infrastructure unless Tehran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.