WASHINGTON– The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several New York Times journalists following their reporting this week on security concerns related to the new Air Force One, according to the newspaper.

The new plane, which President Donald Trump received as a gift from Qatar, entered service last week.

The subpoenas seek to compel reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, the newspaper said, adding that federal agents delivered some subpoenas to reporters at their homes.

The NYT report could not be independently confirmed and there was no immediate response from the White House or the Justice Department.

“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents at journalists’ doors should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the freedom of the press it protects,” the newspaper’s attorney, David McCraw, said in a Friday statement.

The developments come after Trump took the new Air Force One to a NATO summit in Türkiye. But he left Wednesday on one of the older models of Air Force One planes for a trip to Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force base in Suffolk, England. The two planes flew to Mildenhall. Trump then switched to the newer plane for the return flight to Joint Base Andrews.

The abrupt change of plane came as an uneasy ceasefire with Iran had collapsed, with the United States launching airstrikes against Iran and Tehran attacking three Arab Gulf states. Iran and Turkey share a border, sparking speculation that the Qatari-equipped plane, which underwent a $400 million upgrade, lacked certain sophisticated security systems and countermeasures.

The newspaper reported Wednesday that the change had come at the behest of the Secret Service. On Thursday, the newspaper said the newer plane lacked some of the advanced safety features of older planes, including anti-missile capabilities. Both articles cited anonymous sources.

Trump, at the time, denied any safety concerns and posted on social media that the stop at Mildenhall was so service members there could see the new plane. During the flight, Trump denied to accompanying reporters that security concerns involving Iran were a factor in the two planes returning home. Asked if he was aware of any credible threat against Air Force One from Iran, Trump dismissed the question.

“I have a threat all the time. I’m number one on their list,” he said.

The White House later denied any safety deficiencies in the new plane.

“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been equipped with high-level safety protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff,” spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “As the president recently said, there are many enemies of the United States targeting it, and we use every tool at our disposal, including distraction and disorientation, to address those threats.”

Among the Times journalists who received subpoenas were Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, the newspaper reported.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department issued subpoenas to compel journalists from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to testify. In both cases, the Justice Department later withdrew the subpoenas.

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Associated Press reporters Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.