Donald Trump was reportedly locked out of an Iran war situation room.
'Screamed at Aides for Hours': The Shocking Reason Trump Was Kept out of Iran Situation Room
President Donald Trump was reportedly kept out of a situation room meeting involving a critical rescue operation to recover two downed U.S. Air Force pilots in Iran, with aides citing concerns that his impatience could disrupt the mission.
Trump was allegedly barred from the situation room by military advisors.
Both pilots were ultimately recovered.
One was rescued quickly after an F-15 jet was shot down on April 3, while the second spent more than 24 hours behind enemy lines before being extracted.
Donald Trump Excluded From Crucial Iran Meeting Over Temper Issues
An X post shares a news update about a U.S. F-15 fighter jet being shot down over Iran.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump "screamed at aides for hours" during the crisis.
An insider familiar with the situation said Trump referenced the 1980 Iran hostage crisis, saying, "If you look at what happened with Jimmy Carter... it cost them the election."
Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles dialed into the meeting over the following 24 hours to receive updates on the extraction plan.
A senior administration official said Trump was excluded from the meeting because of concerns about his temperament.
The president was updated by phone at key moments. "Aides kept the president out of the room as they got minute-by-minute updates because they believed his impatience wouldn't be helpful," the official said.
The situation was all the more tense as Trump had been sending stern warnings to Iran on Truth Social in recent weeks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "President Trump campaigned proudly on his promise to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon, which is what this noble operation accomplishes."
She dismissed rumors regarding the president's health and said Trump had "remained a steady leader our country needs."
On the evening of April 4, Trump received confirmation that U.S. forces had successfully extracted the second pilot.
A senior administration official described the mission as the "ultimate 'needle in a haystack,'" made possible by intelligence provided by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which alerted both the Pentagon and the White House.
'Lots of Bombs Start Going Off'
In an interview with PBS News, Trump said that the situation would escalate if the ceasefire expired.
When asked what would happen if the ceasefire lapsed that evening, Trump said, "Then lots of bombs start going off."
Trump was then asked whether Iran would attend peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan.
To this, the president replied that he was uncertain. "We agreed to be there, although they say we didn't. But no, it was set up. And we'll see whether or not it's there. If they're not there, that's fine too," he said.
Trump said the key negotiating term would be "very simple": "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." He said he had sent his "A-team" and expected them to negotiate effectively.