Trump suggests he'll target journalists to find out who leaked negative report on Iran strikes
US President Donald Trump has suggested that federal investigators would coerce reporters to tell the government who leaked the 'low confidence' preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment that his strikes on Iran may only set the regime's nuclear program back by a few months.
Mr Trump repeated his demand that the leaker be prosecuted and speculated that Democrats may have been behind the report going public.
'They could find out easily. And you go up and tell the reporter, 'National security, who gave it.' You have to do that. And, I suspect will be doing things like that,' Mr Trump told Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' in a pre-taped interview.
It aired as Iran said it was not convinced Israel would abide by a ceasefire that ended their 12-day war last week.
The most serious escalation to date between the arch-foes erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran that killed top military commanders and scientists linked to its disputed nuclear program.
Israel said its aim was to keep the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear weapon – an ambition Tehran has consistently denied, insisting it has the right to develop nuclear power for civilian purposes like energy.
The fighting derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the US, a staunch ally of Israel's.
'We did not start the war, but we have responded to the aggressor with all our power,' Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi, was quoted as saying by state television, referring to Israel.
'We have serious doubts over the enemy's compliance with its commitments including the ceasefire, we are ready to respond with force' if attacked again, he added, six days into the ceasefire announced by Mr Trump.
Meanwhile, an Israeli court on Sunday postponed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony in his corruption trial after he requested a delay, as Mr Trump called for the case to be thrown out.
'Following the explanations given … we partially accept the request and cancel at this stage Mr Netanyahu's hearings scheduled' for this week, the Jerusalem district court said in its ruling, published online by Netanyahu's Likud party.
Mr Netanyahu's lawyers had asked the court to excuse him from testifying over the next two weeks so he could focus on security issues following a ceasefire with Iran and amid ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held.
They had submitted Netanyahu's schedule to the court to demonstrate 'the national need for the prime minister to devote all his time and energy to the political, national and security issues at hand'.
The court initially rejected the lawyers' request but said in its ruling on Sunday that it had changed its Judgement after hearing arguments from the prime minister, the head of military intelligence and the chief of the Mossad spy agency.
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