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Israeli journalist Amit Segal has publicly admitted that he was the first to reveal that a U.S. airman in Iran was rescued. This rare confession comes amidst threats from President Donald Trump, who is pressuring the journalist behind the story to disclose their source or face imprisonment.
Newsweek reports that Segal confirmed he based his story on credible sources but refused to reveal who provided the information. “I will protect my sources at all costs,” Segal stated, emphasizing the challenges journalists face when covering sensitive military operations.
The story broke following a tense U.S. military mission after an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran on April 3. One of the two airmen onboard was rescued shortly after the crash, and efforts to recover the second continued for two days, raising concerns in military and diplomatic circles.
In response, Trump sharply criticized the press on Monday, insisting he would demand the reporter who broke the story to reveal how they obtained the information. Trump claimed that the leak jeopardized the ongoing mission to rescue the second airman, who was eventually rescued safely as well.
“We didn’t talk about the first one for an hour. Then someone leaked information, and we’re going to find that leaker. We’re looking very hard to identify them,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
He added, “We’re going to approach the media outlet that released this and say, ‘National security, hand over the information or face jail time.'” It was unclear which media organization or journalist Trump was referring to specifically. Several outlets, including The New York Times, CBS News, and Axios, reported shortly afterward that U.S. rescue forces successfully recovered one of the airmen after the fighter jet was shot down over Iran.
The White House did not immediately respond to inquiries about which journalist Trump was threatening. This incident marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s critique of the media. Recently, Trump has privately voiced frustrations to aides over what he perceives as overly negative coverage of the U.S.-Israeli stance on Iran. Publicly, he and his allies have criticized various news outlets for their reporting on the conflict.
Moreover, government officials have intensified pressure on broadcasters. Last month, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned media outlets on X (formerly Twitter) that airing “fake news” could jeopardize their license renewals. He accompanied his message with a screenshot of Trump’s post, in which the former president claimed that “Lowlife ‘papers’ and media actually want us to lose the war.”
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