Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Apr 7: US President Donald Trump has claimed the presence of a possible “mole” within the American government and warned of legal action against a journalist over a reported leak linked to a sensitive military rescue operation in Iran.

Addressing a press conference, Trump said his administration was working “very hard” to identify the source of the leak, which he alleged had endangered both a classified rescue mission and a US Air Force weapons system officer who was recovered days after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down.

“The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say,” Trump said, referring to the journalist who first reported that US forces were searching for the missing airman. However, he did not name the reporter or the organisation involved.

According to Trump, the publication of classified details alerted Iranian forces to the possible presence of a second US service member, after the pilot had already been rescued. Several media outlets, including The New York Times, Fox News and Axios, were among those that reported on the incident.

The US President outlined the scale of the rescue mission, stating that it involved as many as 155 aircraft, including bombers, fighter jets, refuelling tankers, and rescue planes. He said much of the operation was designed to mislead Iranian forces searching for the downed crew member.

“We were bringing them all over and a lot of it was subterfuge… we wanted them to think he was in a different location,” Trump said.

He added that the injured airman, who was “bleeding profusely,” managed to move away from the crash site, navigate mountainous terrain, and eventually establish contact with US forces to share his location.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions and ongoing military and diplomatic friction between the United States and Iran, with concerns growing over operational security and the handling of classified information.