Israeli Journalist With Ties to Netanyahu Unconcerned by Trump's Jail Threats Following Leaked Reporting

Israeli journalist Amit Segal has dismissed President Donald Trump's threats to jail whoever leaked details of a second US airman downed over Iran. Segal confirmed on his Telegram channel that he was the first reporter to publish the story about the Air Force officer whose F-15 fighter jet was shot down.

The airman was rescued safely despite Iran offering a substantial bounty for his capture. He evaded detection long enough for US forces to complete the operation. Trump criticised the leak publicly, stating it alerted Iran to the missing crew member and endangered the mission.

Amit Segal Remains Safe Following Trump's Threats

Saagar Enjeti, the host of 'Breaking Points', posted about Trump's threats on X and said that it is worth seeing if the US President will remain true to his word about sending the reporter responsible for the leaked information to jail. Fellow reporter Ryan Grim uploaded a screenshot from Segal's Telegram channel and said that the latter remains unconcerned by it all. He also pointed out that Segal has close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In one of his messages, Segal detailed what Trump said following the release of the second downed airman story. 'Trump: We didn't talk about the first one rescued, and then someone leaked something about the navigator. We're going to find whoever leaked it. Whoever it is -- we'll manage to track them down through the network that published it, we'll ask for the leaker. We'll say it's national security, and therefore it could end up in prison.'

Segal's next message confirmed all there is to know about his involvement in the leaked story. 'As you may recall, this was first published here.'

Amit Segal's Ties to Benjamin Netanyahu

Segal has been dubbed an insider or mouthpiece for Netanyahu. In 2022, the Israeli Prime Minister offered the reporter the 4th Likud spot and any ministry of his choice. However, he decided to reject the offer so that he could remain in journalism. 'I told him, 'thank you for the offer, but I'm not interested,'' Segal said.

As of writing, Netanyahu and Trump appear to still be on the same page amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war. Thus, it is possible for the president not to move forward with his threat after learning that it was Segal who first reported about the second downed airman.

The Possibility of a Ceasefire

According to reports, Netanyahu and Trump also spoke over the phone this past weekend and discussed the possibility of a ceasefire with Iran. During their conversation, the former congratulated the latter on the successful rescue of the Air Force F-15 crew. The Israeli Prime Minister also expressed concerns over the potential halting of military operations in the country.

Trump reportedly told Netanyahu that he will only consider a ceasefire with Iran if they agree to all their demands. The president assured his fellow leader that he will not compromise on the nuclear issue. Trump is also in talks with some Iranian leaders. Discussions have reportedly been productive as well. For now, no resolution has been made, and the war is expected to continue in the coming days.