The United States is investigating a leak of highly classified American intelligence about Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter. One of the people familiar confirmed the authenticity of the documents.
The leak is “deeply concerning,” a US official told CNN.
The documents, dated October 15 and 16, began circulating online this Friday after being posted on Telegram by an account called “Middle East Spectator.”
They are marked top secret and have markings indicating that they are intended to be seen only by the United States and its “Five Eyes” allies: Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
They describe preparations that Israel appears to be making for an attack on Iran. One of the documents, said to have been compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, indicates that the plans involve Israel moving munitions.
Another document says its source is the National Security Agency and details Israeli air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles, also seen as preparation for an attack on Iran. CNN is not directly quoting or showing the documents.
A US official said the investigation is examining who had access to the alleged Pentagon document. Any such leak would automatically trigger an investigation by the FBI along with the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies. The FBI declined to comment.
The leak comes at an extremely sensitive time in US-Israel relations and is sure to anger the Israelis, who have been preparing to attack Iran in response to Iran’s missile bombardment on October 1. One of the documents also suggests something Israel has always refused to confirm publicly: that the country has nuclear weapons. The document says the US has seen no indication that Israel plans to use a nuclear weapon 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 violation,” said Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and retired CIA officer.
Mulroy added that “future coordination between the US and Israel could also be challenged. Trust is a key component in the relationship, and depending on how it was leaked, that trust could be eroded.”
The National Security Council referred CNN to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Pentagon for comment. The Pentagon and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency declined to comment.
Another US official said that “these two documents are bad, but not horrible. The concern is if there are more.”
It is not clear how the documents became public, nor whether they were hacked or deliberately leaked. The United States is already on high alert for Iranian hacking campaigns; US intelligence agencies said in August that Iran hacked documents belonging to Donald Trump’s campaign.
Axios first reported on the leaked documents on Saturday.
A major U.S. intelligence leak last year also strained U.S. relations with allies and partners, including South Korea and Ukraine, after a 21-year-old Air National Guard member posted highly classified information on the networking platform. social Discord.
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