International
US Investigates Leak Of Israel Plan To Attack Iran
The documents, reportedly shared online last week, contain satellite imagery showing Israel moving military assets in response to Iran’s missile attack on October 1.
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Marked as top secret and shareable within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—which includes the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia—the documents were first reported by CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
Israel has been weighing its response to the missile attack for weeks, with its defence minister warning of a “deadly, precise, and surprising” retaliation.
The leaked files, said to be from the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency (NSA), were published on a pro-Iran Telegram channel on Friday.
Johnson, the highest-ranking member of Congress, told CNN on Sunday that “the leak is very concerning”.
“There’s some serious allegations being made, there’s an investigation under way, and I’ll get a briefing on that in a couple of hours,” the Louisiana Republican lawmaker said.
The Pentagon acknowledged in a statement that it was aware of the reports concerning the leaked documents but refrained from providing additional comments.
Neither the US agencies involved nor the Israeli government have publicly addressed the leak.
The leak was first reported by CNN and Axios, further highlighting that the US conducts surveillance on its close ally, Israel.
One of the leaked documents references Israel’s nuclear capabilities—an aspect that neither the US nor Israel officially acknowledges—suggesting that such an option is not being considered in any planned military action.
A former American intelligence official speculated to the BBC that the unauthorized release might be an attempt to reveal the extent of Israel’s planned retaliation, potentially disrupting it.
The US is investigating whether the information was intentionally leaked by a US agent or if it was obtained through theft, possibly via hacking, according to officials who spoke with the Associated Press (AP).
The two leaked documents appear to be based on satellite data collected between October 15 and 16.
The first document is titled, “Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Strike on Iran and Conducts a Second Large-Force Employment Exercise,” detailing the handling of ballistic and air-to-surface missiles.
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The second document, titled “Israel: Defense Forces Continue Key Munitions Preparations and Covert UAV Activity Almost Certainly for a Strike on Iran,” discusses Israeli drone movements.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden stated that he had a “good understanding” of Israel’s plans.
“Do you have a good understanding of what Israel is going to do right now in response to Iran… and when they will actually respond?” a reporter asked him.
“Yes, and yes,” Biden replied.
“Can you tell us?” asked the reporter.
“No, and no.”
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