A US airman shot down over Iran reportedly took cover in a mountain crevice to evade capture before being rescued by an American recovery team that came under heavy fire, according to a report by The Guardian.
The incident came after reports emerged that a second service member was unaccounted for following the downing of a US aircraft. The airman was later recovered, with US President Donald Trump, announcing the rescue on Sunday.
Trump vows to pursue ‘leaker’ Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump threatened legal action against journalists who reported the missing airman, saying his administration would force media organisations to disclose their sources.
“We’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘national security, give it up or go to jail,’” Trump said.
He argued that the report alerted Iran to the presence of the stranded airman, potentially putting the service member at greater risk.
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“They didn’t know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information,” he added.
Trump did not name the journalist or outlet involved but said officials were confident of identifying the source of the leak.
Press freedom concerns grow The remarks mark a sharp escalation in Trump’s ongoing confrontations with the media during his second term, with critics warning of threats to press freedom.
Seth Stern of the Freedom of the Press Foundation defended journalists’ rights to publish leaked information, stressing constitutional protections.
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“Journalists don’t work for the government and their right to publish government leaks is protected by the First Amendment… it’s up to the government to keep its secrets, not journalists,” he said.
The White House has said an investigation into the leak is under way, though no further details have been provided.
