On Tuesday, the FBI announced it is looking into the unauthorized leak of classified documents related to Israel’s planned response to Iran.
According to Axios, two U.S. intelligence documents emerged on a Tehran-affiliated Telegram channel last Saturday, detailing Israel’s preparations for a potential strike against Iran. The channel’s administrators claimed to be a team of independent journalists, denying any connection to the Iranian government.
These top-secret documents, dated October 15-16, include sensitive information about “key munitions preparations and covert UAV [uncrewed aerial vehicle] activity,” suggesting a planned Israeli attack on Iran.
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
The Associated Press reported that U.S. officials had already started investigating the leak before the FBI confirmed their involvement. The FBI stated it is collaborating closely with the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community but did not provide additional details.
During a press briefing on Monday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby addressed the issue, noting the uncertainty surrounding whether the documents were leaked or hacked. He emphasized the administration’s concern over any unauthorized disclosure of classified material.
The documents attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency specifically discussed Israel’s military strategies, particularly in response to Iran’s missile assaults on October 1st.
That day, Iran reportedly launched its largest missile attack on Israel, targeting around 180 missiles, most of which were intercepted by Israeli defenses, aided by the U.S. and its allies. Footage showed missiles over Tel Aviv just before 7:45 p.m. local time, and a senior Iranian official stated that the attack was ordered by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.