Trump seeks Justice Department investigation into Iran war leaks, WSJ reports

The Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump has asked the Justice Department to open an investigation into media leaks related to the Iran war.

According to the newspaper, Trump forwarded a file containing press clippings about the war to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, accompanied by a note bearing the word “treason.”

Citing US officials, the WSJ said Trump had privately complained to senior Justice Department officials about leaks tied to media reports on the Iran war.

Administration officials said Blanche indicated during those discussions that subpoenas would be issued.

Officials said Trump was particularly angered by detailed reporting on how he reached the decision to go to war and what advice he received from his advisers. According to the report, Trump viewed the publications as a threat to national security.

US officials also said senior Justice Department leaders had held meetings with Pentagon officials to discuss the investigations.

A Justice Department spokesperson told the WSJ: “Under all circumstances, the Department of Justice acts on the facts and applies the law to identify individuals who commit crimes against the United States.”

The newspaper said the Trump administration’s campaign against media leaks has advanced in parallel with accelerating investigations into preparations for the Iran war.

According to the report, one of the articles under review by the Justice Department was a February 23 WSJ report stating that General Dan Caine and other Pentagon officials had warned Trump about the risks of a potentially prolonged war.

The newspaper said Trump launched the war five days later, on February 28. According to the report, the Justice Department subsequently issued subpoenas to the WSJ demanding records related to the newspaper’s reporters.

Ashok Sinha, Dow Jones’ senior executive responsible for public relations, told the newspaper: “The government’s subpoenas directed at The Wall Street Journal and our reporters constitute an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering activities. We will vigorously oppose this effort to suppress and intimidate journalists whose work is of vital importance.”

According to the WSJ, prosecutors in recent months have also issued subpoenas to postal and telephone service providers in addition to media organizations. The newspaper noted that the Justice Department had previously resorted to such methods only in exceptional cases.

The report said former Attorney General Pam Bondi removed certain restrictions imposed during Joe Biden’s presidency, after which the subpoena process accelerated.

The WSJ also reported that The New York Times was among the organizations recently subpoenaed. According to the newspaper, those subpoenas were linked to a report describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to persuade Trump to enter the war.

The newspaper further reported that in January, the Justice Department obtained a search warrant for the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of an investigation into an engineer accused of illegally retaining classified information.

The US and Israel launched their military operation against Iran on February 28. More than a month later, the parties signed a two-week temporary ceasefire agreement. According to the report, Trump later extended the ceasefire indefinitely.

At the same time, the ceasefire remains fragile, with the sides continuing their attacks, the report said.

Trump has previously accused the US media of conducting a smear campaign against him and acting with political bias. In the autumn of 2025, the US president filed two separate lawsuits against The New York Times seeking a total of $15 billion in damages.

Those lawsuits included claims related to reports about Trump’s alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said the publications had caused him financial and reputational harm.

A court declined to review the first lawsuit. The New York Times said Trump’s allegations were baseless and described the lawsuits as an attempt to pressure independent journalism.