‘Don screamed at aides, kept out of war room after F-15E downing’

Washington: US President Donald Trump screamed at aides for hours after learning that two American airmen were missing when an F-15 Eagle was shot down over Iran on April 3, and later kept out of key war-room briefings as the crisis unfolded, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing senior administration officials. However, the White House rejected the report and said Trump had “remained a steady leader our country needs”.

Back in Washington, Trump’s fears about how the conflict was unfolding “were ramping up,” the WSJ report said. He was said to be fixated on parallels with the Iran hostage crisis, one of the most significant US foreign policy crises, images of which “loomed large” in his mind.

As the situation intensified, senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles dialled into the Situation Room for minute-by-minute updates over the next 24 hours. Trump was not included in these meetings.

Instead, he was kept informed only at “meaningful moments” via phone calls. Aides deliberately kept him out of the room, believing his impatience would not be helpful during real-time operational decision-making, officials told WSJ.

The White House pushed back on that portrayal. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the WSJ Trump had “remained a steady leader our country needs,” adding the operation aligned with his stated goal of denying Iran the ability to develop a nuclear weapon.