President Donald Trump warned Monday that the source who exposed details of an active U.S. rescue mission inside Iran will be identified, and said those responsible could face jail if they refuse to cooperate.
The threat followed a high-risk effort to recover two aircrew members after an F-15E Strike Eagle was brought down over Iranian territory, leaving both behind enemy lines as American forces raced to reach them.
Trump said the operation was compromised after information surfaced publicly while the mission was still unfolding.
“We didn’t talk about the first one for an hour and then somebody leaked something,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll hopefully find that leaker, we’re looking very hard to find that leaker.”
Trump: Somebody leaked something, which will hopefully find that leaker. We're working very hard to find that leaker. They basically said that we have one and there's somebody missing. We’re going to go to media company who released it and say “national security, give it up or go… pic.twitter.com/FFZgEg1SRs
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 6, 2026
He argued the disclosure revealed a second missing crew member before that fact was known more broadly. “They basically said that we have one and there’s somebody missing. Well, they didn’t know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information,” he continued.
Trump tied the leak directly to increased danger on the ground, pointing to what followed inside Iran. “Iran put out a major note… offering a very big award for anybody that captures the pilot,” he said. “So in addition to a hostile, very talented, very good, very evil military, we had millions of people trying to get an award.”
He then turned to the outlet that published the information and laid out a stark warning. “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. “Some things you can’t do.”
That rescue wasn’t just a mission, it was overwhelming force in real time.
Bombers laying down massive precision strikes, drones taking out threats on the ground, everything moving at once to protect one American.
Let that sink in.
All of that… for one pilot.
That’s not… pic.twitter.com/6A3tErrnfR
— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) April 6, 2026
Pressed again, he repeated the threat in clear terms. “The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say,” Trump added.
The rescue effort unfolded over several days after the fighter jet was hit by an Iranian missile, separating the pilot and the weapons systems officer across difficult terrain.
Officials said the pilot was recovered first, while the second crew member remained unaccounted for as the search intensified.
Trump described the missing officer as injured but mobile, moving through mountainous terrain to avoid capture.
“The officer followed his training and climbed into the treacherous mountain terrain and started climbing toward a higher altitude,” Trump said, describing the attempt to gain an advantage while evading pursuit.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just laid out the jaw-dropping details of the second daring rescue of our F-15 weapons system officer deep inside Iran.
The highly respected colonel ejected miles away from the pilot, badly injured, and landed right in the middle of IRGC terrorists,… pic.twitter.com/VkQdDGKzoO
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 6, 2026
He added that the officer was bleeding heavily and treating his own injuries while attempting to stay concealed. The officer eventually transmitted his position, allowing U.S. forces to initiate a large-scale recovery mission.
Trump said the Pentagon deployed an array of assets once the location was confirmed. According to the president, the response ultimately involved 155 aircraft, including bombers, fighter jets, refueling tankers, and dedicated rescue platforms.
“You bring rifles into play when you’re going that low,” Trump said, referencing the exposure involved in operating deep inside hostile territory.
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He also outlined a deception effort intended to throw off Iranian forces searching for the downed airman. “We wanted them to look in different areas. So we were scattered all over,” Trump said.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe described how intelligence teams worked to locate the officer before time ran out. He said both human sources and advanced capabilities were deployed as Iranian forces conducted their own search.
“Human assets and exquisite technologies” were used, Ratcliffe remarked, describing an effort to stay ahead of an active hunt.
He compared the search to a near-impossible task. “Finding and providing confirmation that one of America’s best and bravest was alive… was like hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert,” Ratcliffe said.
He described the moment the search shifted. The officer had been confirmed alive, concealed within the terrain and still out of sight of opposing forces. That confirmation triggered the next phase of the operation.
“This was also a race against the clock,” Ratcliffe pointed out. “It was critical that we locate the downed aviator as quickly as possible, while at the same time keeping our enemies misdirected.”
Trump framed the outcome as a narrow escape under extreme conditions. “The Iranians thought they had him, but it wasn’t even close,” he said, calling the operation an “Easter Miracle.”
He noted the operation required strict silence while it unfolded. “We got two, but couldn’t talk about the first in that it would have highlighted that there was a second,” Trump said.
The recovered officer was described by Trump as seriously wounded, though alive following the extraction. He said the servicemember is a “highly respected Colonel.”
Trump returned repeatedly to the leak, calling the individual responsible “a sick person” and insisting the government will track them down.
“We have to find that leaker,” he said. “Probably didn’t realize the extent of how bad it was… but we’re going to find out.”
He emphasized the stakes in direct terms. “It’s national security,” Trump added.
The briefing expanded beyond the rescue as Trump issued new warnings to Iran tied to ongoing tensions.
He reiterated a deadline for Tehran to reach an agreement with the United States, tying it to potential military action.
“We’re giving them until tomorrow at 8 o’clock,” Trump stated. “And after that, they’re going to have no bridges, no power plants.”
He added that the country’s infrastructure could be eliminated quickly if negotiations fail.
“Iran could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.
Trump also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a critical pressure point in any potential agreement.
“I would say it’s a very big priority,” he said when asked about reopening the waterway.
He warned that even limited disruption could have major consequences. “To close the Strait, all you need is one terrorist… drop them in the water, and now you tell people that own ships that cost a billion dollars… ‘Don’t worry about the mine,’” Trump said.
He argued Iran’s conventional military capabilities have already been significantly degraded. “They have no navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft weaponry,” he said. “They have no radar. They have no communication.”
.@POTUS on the Strait of Hormuz: "I'm not even sure they have any [mine droppers] by the way… they say there might be 8. I don't know, I think there might be none — because they're very good bullshit artists… for 47 years, they've been bullshitting other presidents." pic.twitter.com/zrXVRHcSa7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026
Trump closed by mocking Iran’s leadership and their dealings with past administrations.
“They’re very good bulls**t artists,” he noted. “For 47 years, they’ve been bullshitting other presidents.”
Watch the full press conference here:
