Trump Suggests Iran Report Leaker Could Be ‘Prosecuted’

President Trump expressed his desire for the prosecution of those accountable for leaking the intelligence report concerning Iran and indicated that the government might take measures against journalists to force them to disclose their sources.

The president’s remarks, made during an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo and aired on Sunday, followed sharp criticisms from him and his administration regarding media portrayals of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s preliminary report on U.S. strikes aimed at three Iranian nuclear facilities.

This assessment was classified at a high level, and the media outlets neglected to mention that its initial conclusions were characterized by a “low confidence” rating within the intelligence community.

Furthermore, the assessment contradicted assertions made by Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, who claimed that the targets had been “obliterated” by U.S. bunker buster bombs and other munitions.

The DIA report, released shortly after the strikes, stated that the Iranian programs had only been delayed “by months.”

In a pre-recorded interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Trump stated that he “suspects” his administration will seek an investigation and prosecution of anyone identified as having leaked the report to the media.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump further suggested that the assessment was leaked by Democrats. He ominously remarked that reporters should be subpoenaed for their sources, asserting, “They could find out if they wanted. They could find out easily.”

“You have to do that. I suspect we’ll be doing things like that,” he added.In the interview, Trump expressed his frustration with the news media, criticizing the coverage as “fake news” and reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated like nobody’s ever seen before.”

At the same time, Israel’s preliminary evaluation of the U.S. airstrike determined that it inflicted “very significant damage.” An Israeli official informed Axios that performing “a professional battle damage assessment takes time,” while also indicating that it is premature to reach the conclusions presented in the DIA report.

“They have personnel who assess the situation post-strike, and they reported total obliteration,” Trump stated to attendees and journalists at a NATO meeting in The Hague this week.

Additionally, Trump has warned that further measures would be implemented if Iran resumed uranium enrichment, as reported by FirstPost.

The commander-in-chief mentioned that Israel is in the process of preparing a comprehensive damage assessment and implied that Iran had insufficient time to move any materials from the site prior to the strike.

He likened the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, asserting that both had a similarly decisive impact in ceasing conflict.

Throughout the day, Trump’s rhetoric became increasingly dramatic, as he dismissed reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the disappearance of Iran’s 400kg stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium, as noted further by Forbes.

Earlier this week, U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the location of the uranium and stated that the matter would be discussed in forthcoming talks with Iranian officials.

On Wednesday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Iran’s nuclear program had suffered considerable damage and would take years to reconstruct. “Several key nuclear facilities were destroyed,” he stated, referencing credible intelligence sources.

Trump also indicated that a meeting between the US and Iran is likely to occur next week to address Tehran’s nuclear program. “We may sign an agreement, or we may not,” he remarked. “I am indifferent to whether an agreement is reached or not.”

Furthermore, the president seemed less confident about the prospect of a lasting cease-fire and peace between Israel and Iran after previously declaring earlier in the week that it would endure “forever.”

“They are both fatigued… but could hostilities resume? Perhaps. Perhaps soon,” he commented, according to FirstPost.