Several New York Times journalists have been summoned to testify under oath after reporting alleged security concerns involving President Donald Trump's new Air Force One aircraft.

Axar.az reports, citing BBC, that federal agents delivered subpoenas to some reporters' homes, requiring them to appear before a federal grand jury investigating a potential crime.

The newspaper had published articles alleging that the Qatari-donated aircraft was not secure enough and that the Secret Service advised Trump to switch to an older plane for his return from a NATO summit in Turkiye.

The U.S. Justice Department told the BBC it was investigating illegal leaks, saying: "Repоrters are not the targets; those leaking classified information are."

David McCraw, the Times' chief newsroom lawyer, described the subpoenas as a "brazen act" and said they were an attempt to intimidate journalists. He added that the subpoenas require reporters to testify "in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law."

The newspaper said the journalists have been ordered to appear before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday.