'Leakers should be shot': Trump rages over leak of US military plans to attack Iran, slams media

US President Donald Trump has said government officials who leak sensitive military information to the media ‘should be shot’, claiming that reports about a planned American military operation in Iran forced him to postpone the attack. Speaking at a midterm campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, Trump criticised individuals responsible for disclosing classified defence information and accused media organisations of reporting details that could have endangered US troops. "In my opinion, leakers should be shot," Trump said during the rally. "In the old days, we used to shoot leakers."

Trump alleged that Iran's military was ‘waiting’ for American troops ahead of a planned US operation. He claimed that The New York Times and CNN had published leaked information about the timing of US troops' departure and arrival. According to Trump, the disclosure prompted him to reschedule the operation for two days later. "Somebody leaked, some sleazebag," Trump said. "They ought to go to jail and be shot."

Trump appeared to be referring to Operation Midnight Hammer, the US military operation targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, although he did not explicitly identify the operation during his remarks. The president has a long history of clashes with major news organisations, particularly over their coverage of his administration's military and national security policies. In 2025, Trump threatened to sue The New York Times and CNN over their reporting on a preliminary intelligence assessment that contradicted his claims that Iran's uranium enrichment facilities had been ‘completely and totally obliterated’ by US strikes during Operation Midnight Hammer.

Trump again defended a hard-line approach towards people who disclose sensitive military information, arguing that such leaks could compromise national security and put American personnel at risk. "When they leak what time you're going to attack a country, and the reason you're attacking is really for defense, because you don't want them to have a weapon that can blow up millions of people at one shot. No, leakers should be dealt with very, very strongly," Trump said. "To me, they're the scum of the earth. The leakers are the scum of the earth," he added.

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Trump says US may have gone too far in targeting Iran's leadership

Separately, Trump suggested that the United States may have gone too far in targeting Iran's leadership, acknowledging that the military campaign had made it difficult to identify officials capable of negotiating an end to the conflict. Speaking at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, the president raised questions about the consequences of the operation against Iranian leaders. “We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore,” Trump told supporters.