US leak reveals Israel's plans for operation against Iran
Photo: Another scandal emerges in the US over the leak of top-secret data (Getty Images)
The US is investigating a leak of highly classified intelligence regarding Israel's preparations for an operation to retaliate against Iran following an attack earlier this month, according to CNN.
Three sources familiar with the matter confirmed the information about the leak. One of the sources verified the authenticity of the documents.
"The leak is deeply concerning," the US official told CNN.
Dated October 15 and 16, the documents began circulating online on Friday, October 18, after being posted by a Telegram account called Middle East Spectator.
They carry a top secret classification and markings indicating that they are intended for the eyes of the US and its allies in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The documents outline Israel's preparations for a strike on Iran. One document, identified as being produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, indicates plans for Israel to move munitions.
Another document, attributed to the National Security Agency, discusses training exercises by the Israeli Air Force involving air-to-surface missiles, believed to be part of preparations for a strike on Iran.
The US official noted that the investigation aims to determine who had access to the purported Department of Defense document. Any such leak automatically triggers an investigation by the FBI alongside the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies.
Trust at risk
CNN highlighted that the leak occurs at an extraordinarily sensitive moment in US-Israeli relations and is likely to infuriate Israeli officials who are preparing to retaliate against Iran for its missile attack on October 1.
One of the documents also suggests that Tel Aviv has consistently refused to publicly acknowledge that the country possesses nuclear weapons. The document states that the US has seen no indications that Israel plans to use nuclear weapons against Iran.
“If it is true that Israeli tactical plans to respond to Iran’s attack on October 1 have been leaked, it is a serious breach,” said Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and a retired CIA officer.
He added that "trust is a key component in the relationship, and depending on how this was leaked that trust could be eroded."
Another US official remarked that "these two documents are bad, but not horrible. The concern is if there are more."
The CNN notes that it remains unclear how the documents became public, whether they were hacked, or if there was an intentional leak.
The US is already on heightened alert regarding Iranian hacking campaigns — US intelligence agencies announced in August that Iran had hacked documents belonging to Donald Trump's campaign.
This is not the first leak of classified information from US intelligence agencies. In April 2023, a 21-year-old member of the US Air Force National Guard member posted classified information on the social media platform Discord.
That leak strained US relations with allies and partners, particularly South Korea and Ukraine. The documents included information about the Ukrainian Armed Forces' preparations for a counteroffensive.
US President Joe Biden, in turn, stated that the investigation into this incident is nearing completion.
