US President Donald Trump said he postponed a planned strike on Iran after details of the timing of the operation were leaked to the media, calling for those responsible to face life imprisonment or execution.
“In my opinion, leakers should be shot. In the old days, we shot leakers,” news agencies reported him saying at a rally in Arizona on Wednesday.
Trump said stealth B-2 bombers had been deployed to ensure Iran did not acquire nuclear weapons, adding that Iran had been waiting for the aircraft to arrive.
“Somebody leaked it, a very bad person. They should be put in jail and shot. They should be put in jail for life.
“Leakers have to be dealt with very, very strongly. They really do. To me, they’re the lowest form of life on Earth,” he said.
Trump referred to a planned operation involving US military assets from Missouri, claiming the leak had prompted him to reschedule military action against the Islamic Republic.
However, he did not identify the operation or provide direct evidence that media disclosures had forced the Pentagon to alter its military plans.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly criticised media coverage of the war with Iran, accusing outlets of reporting in ways they consider unfavourable to the United States.
The conflict, which Trump initially predicted would last several weeks and has repeatedly suggested would soon end, has entered its eighth month, with no clear sign of an end.
Trump’s campaign rallies are often unscripted, with speeches frequently lasting more than an hour and touching on divisive social issues to energise supporters.
Although he regularly highlights economic performance and defends his administration’s record, including its tariff policies, he often departs from the main subject to discuss issues not directly related to the cost-of-living concerns weighing on voters. - October 15, 2026