Trump accuses govt mole of jeopardising rescue of US officer, warns journalist, 'person who did that story will...'
Trump told Axios that his administration is working "very hard to find that leaker," a person he believes endangered both the rescue mission and the life of the US weapons systems officer who was rescued after his F-15E was shot down over Iran
- Apr 7, 2026,
- Updated Apr 7, 2026 7:30 AM IST
In a startling revelation during a press conference on Monday, US President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of a mole within the U.S. government, claiming that an unnamed individual’s leak had compromised the recent rescue of an American airman from Iran.
Trump told Axios that his administration is working "very hard to find that leaker," a person he believes endangered both the rescue mission and the life of the US weapons systems officer who was rescued after his F-15E was shot down over Iran. The officer had been stranded in mountainous terrain for over 24 hours before being successfully extracted by American forces in a high-risk operation.
In the same breath, Trump issued a stern warning to the journalist who first reported that U.S. forces were searching for the downed officer. "The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn't say, and that doesn't last long," Trump stated, further escalating the tension surrounding the incident.
Although Trump did not identify the journalist or news outlet, several media organisations, including The New York Times, Fox News, and Axios, were among the first to report on the rescue operation. The President accused the early publication of highly classified information of alerting Iranian forces to the presence of a second US service member.
The scale of the U.S. operation, as described by Trump, was staggering, involving 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refuelling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft. A significant portion of the mission’s complexity, Trump explained, was focused on misleading Iranian forces who were also trying to locate the American airman.
Trump highlighted that the mission had to use strategic subterfuge to confuse Iranian forces, saying, “We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge. We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.” The airman, despite being "bleeding profusely," managed to flee from the crash site and climb through mountainous terrain to communicate his location with American forces.
This development comes amid mounting concerns over the safety of US personnel in Iran, with the White House under pressure to ensure that critical operations are not compromised by internal leaks.
In a startling revelation during a press conference on Monday, US President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of a mole within the U.S. government, claiming that an unnamed individual’s leak had compromised the recent rescue of an American airman from Iran.
Trump told Axios that his administration is working "very hard to find that leaker," a person he believes endangered both the rescue mission and the life of the US weapons systems officer who was rescued after his F-15E was shot down over Iran. The officer had been stranded in mountainous terrain for over 24 hours before being successfully extracted by American forces in a high-risk operation.
In the same breath, Trump issued a stern warning to the journalist who first reported that U.S. forces were searching for the downed officer. "The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn't say, and that doesn't last long," Trump stated, further escalating the tension surrounding the incident.
Although Trump did not identify the journalist or news outlet, several media organisations, including The New York Times, Fox News, and Axios, were among the first to report on the rescue operation. The President accused the early publication of highly classified information of alerting Iranian forces to the presence of a second US service member.
The scale of the U.S. operation, as described by Trump, was staggering, involving 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refuelling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft. A significant portion of the mission’s complexity, Trump explained, was focused on misleading Iranian forces who were also trying to locate the American airman.
Trump highlighted that the mission had to use strategic subterfuge to confuse Iranian forces, saying, “We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge. We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.” The airman, despite being "bleeding profusely," managed to flee from the crash site and climb through mountainous terrain to communicate his location with American forces.
This development comes amid mounting concerns over the safety of US personnel in Iran, with the White House under pressure to ensure that critical operations are not compromised by internal leaks.