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Washington, April 7 (IANS) US President Donald Trump threatened legal action against journalists and media organisations over a leak related to a high-risk US rescue mission in Iran, saying reporters could face jail if they refused to reveal their sources.

“We’re looking very hard to find that leaker,” Trump said, adding that the administration would tell the media outlet involved: “national security, give it up or go to jail.”

Trump said the leak revealed that one American airman was still missing after another had been rescued, alerting Iranian authorities and complicating the operation. “All of a sudden, the entire country of Iran knew,” he said.

He called the source a “sick person” and warned that “the person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say”.

The remarks come amid broader concerns over press freedom and national security reporting. The President said: “Give it up or go to jail,” referring to the identity of the source who disclosed details about the missing airman.

The White House said an investigation into the leak was underway.

Trump argued that the disclosure “put that man at great risk” and endangered “the hundreds of people that went in looking for them”.

The episode underscores growing tensions between the administration and the media during a rapidly evolving conflict, where operational secrecy is critical to military missions.

During the news conference, he slammed a New York Times reporter. “You no longer have credibility, The New York Times, because the New York Times said, Trump won't win the election and I won in a landslide. I won every swing state. New York Times said, oh, Trump won't win the election. New York Times has no credibility. The credibility they have is it used to be all the news that's fit to print,” he said.

“It was great. But they're running on past fumes and you can't keep doing that. You have to be able to give the correct news and people like you, who I know, are fake. You're fake,” Trump alleged.

--IANS

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