International

US Investigates Leak Of Israel Plan To Attack Iran

The US is investigating the leak of classified documents outlining its assessment of Israel’s plans for a potential strike on Iran, House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed.

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.

EDITOR’S PICKS

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.

FURTHER READING

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.”

Click here to watch our video of the week

Dennis

Share
Published by
Dennis

Recent Posts

Author Aisha Amdagas Unveils New Books at Borno Books and Arts Festival

On Friday, December 20th, the Borno State capital played host to an inspiring literary event…

10 minutes ago

Troops Dismantle 37 Illegal Refining Sites, Seize 130,000 Litres of Stolen Petroleum Products

In a coordinated effort, troops of the 6 Division, along with other security agencies, have…

15 minutes ago

Man Arrested Over Alleged N220,000 Debt Dies in Kwara Police Custody

Kwara  State Police Command has announced a discreet investigation into the sudden death of 35-year-old…

36 minutes ago