US President Donald Trump threatened to imprison a journalist who published information about an American pilot missing in Iran after an F-15 fighter jet was shot down, saying the media must reveal its source for national security reasons.
During a press conference at the White House, Trump said his administration is seeking to identify the person who leaked the classified information and warned that the media company that published the news could be forced to reveal the source or face legal consequences. 
"We're going to go to the media company and say, 'For national security reasons, hand over the source or go to jail,'" Trump said, arguing that the leak of information could have jeopardized the pilot's rescue operation. 
According to international media reports, the information released concerned a member of the US Air Force who went missing for a period after his plane crashed in Iran, and was later rescued during a dangerous search and rescue operation. 
Trump's statements have sparked immediate reactions from press freedom organizations and legal experts, who warn that threats of imprisonment for journalists for revealing their sources run counter to the traditional protections enjoyed by the press in the US. 
