FBI probing leak of US intel on Israel's plans for attack on Iran

The FBI is investigating the public disclosure of a pair of highly classified intelligence documents describing Israel’s preparations for a retaliatory strike on Iran, the bureau said today, Reuters has reported.

“The FBI is investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and working closely with our partners in the Department of Defence and Intelligence Community,” it said.

According to White House spokesman John Kirby on Monday, it has not been determined whether the disclosure was a hack or a leak. President Joe Biden was watching the results of the investigation closely, he added.

“We’re not exactly sure how these documents found their way into the public domain,” Kirby told reporters. “The president remains deeply concerned about any leakage of classified information into the public domain. That is not supposed to happen, and it’s unacceptable when it does.”

US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday that an investigation was under way to find the source of the suspected leak.

The documents appear to have been prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, describing US interpretations of Israeli Air Force and Navy planning based on satellite imagery from 15-16 October. They began circulating last week on the Telegram messaging app.

Israel has been planning a response to a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on 1 October, Tehran’s second direct attack on Israel in six months, in response to Israel’s attacks against Iranian sovereign territory. The occupation state has intensified its genocide in Gaza and attacks on Lebanon, days after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

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