Trump says he called off planned Iran strike after media disclosed its timing, and says leakers “should be shot”

U.S. President Donald Trump said at a rally in Arizona that he called off a planned strike on Iran after media organizations, including The New York Times and CNN, disclosed its exact timing. He also said people who leak the timing of operations to news outlets “should be shot.”

Trump said B-2 stealth bombers had been dispatched to ensure Iran did not acquire a nuclear weapon. He called the leakers “scum of the earth” and said the precise departure time from Missouri had been revealed, allowing Iran to anticipate the operation.

He said the raid was carried out two days later at the same scheduled time—the only moment when the target was not expected to anticipate it. Trump said leakers must be dealt with very strongly and face long prison sentences.