A prosecutor said in a court hearing on Thursday that the US Justice Department will withdraw subpoenas for New York Times journalists who published coverage about security concerns related to President Donald Trump's travel on the presidential plane (Air Force One) gifted by Qatar.

The subpoenas, issued by Jay Clayton, the US attorney in Manhattan on July 10, are the latest example of the Trump administration's efforts to force journalists to reveal their sources, as part of what critics describe as a broader pressure campaign by the president on the media.

District Judge Aaron Subramanian halted the enforcement of the subpoenas before the federal court hearing in Manhattan scheduled for later on Thursday.

Prosecutors asked Subramanian to suspend the subpoenas for two weeks, arguing that next steps in the investigation could affect his decision, while the newspaper asked the judge to quash them, according to Reuters.

Clayton, the nominee chosen by Trump to be the next US Director of National Intelligence, issued the subpoenas after the New York Times reported that Trump left Turkey on the old Air Force One because the new plane gifted by Qatar lacked anti-missile systems and other defensive features.

The journalists relied on anonymous sources, and their reports coincided with the collapse of the ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The newspaper said in a court filing that the purpose of the subpoenas was to harass and intimidate journalists, in violation of freedom of the press protections under the First Amendment.

It also accused the Justice Department of violating internal policies regarding the use of subpoenas against journalists, a measure that is supposed to be rare and requires high-level approval.

Prosecutors denied that the subpoenas were issued improperly, and said in a court filing on Tuesday that the First Amendment does not protect journalists from the need to disclose essential information in criminal investigations.