- The U.S. is investigating a leak of classified documents on Israel's military plans against Iran.
- The documents reveal Israel's response to an Iranian missile attack.
- They were shared on Telegram and reported by CNN and Axios.
- Authorities are examining if the leak was intentional or a cyber breach.
The United States is currently investigating the unauthorized release of classified documents detailing Israel’s potential military plans against Iran, as confirmed by three US officials speaking to The Associated Press. A fourth official indicated that the documents appear to be authentic, raising concerns about national security and intelligence protocols.
The documents, attributed to the US Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, reveal that Israel was in the process of mobilizing military assets in response to a significant ballistic missile attack from Iran on October 1. These documents were designed to be shareable within the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, which includes the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, underscoring their sensitive nature.
Initially reported by CNN and Axios, the top-secret documents were shared on the Telegram messaging app. The officials who provided this information did so under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic and the ongoing investigation.
In addition to investigating the leak itself, authorities are examining how the documents were obtained, whether it was an intentional leak from within the US intelligence community or the result of a cyber breach. Investigators are also looking into the possibility of other compromised intelligence and identifying individuals who had access to the documents prior to their release.
The US has urged Israel to take advantage of its elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and press for a cease-fire in Gaza, and has likewise urgently cautioned Israel not to further expand military operations in the north in Lebanon and risk a wider regional war. However, Israel’s leadership has repeatedly stressed it will not let Iran’s missile attack go unanswered.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it was aware of the reports of the documents but did not have further comment.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the leak of the two documents.
The documents first appeared online Friday via a channel on Telegram, claiming they had been leaked by someone in the US intelligence community, then later the US Defense Department. The information appeared entirely gathered through the use of satellite image analysis.
One of the two documents resembled the style of other material from the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency leaked by Jack Teixeira, an Air National Guardsman who pleaded guilty in March to leaking highly classified military documents about Russia’s war on Ukraine and other national security secrets.
The Telegram channel involved in the leak identifies itself as being based in Tehran, Iran’s capital. It previously published memes featuring Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and material in support of Tehran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Middle East militant groups armed by the Islamic Republic.
