FBI Probes Leak of Classified US Intelligence on Israel’s Plan to Attack Iran

October 22, 2024 TruthUSA

The FBI stated that it is collaborating with the Pentagon following the alleged leak.

The FBI has verified that it is actively investigating the reported leak of classified U.S. intelligence documents revealing Israel’s planned strike on Iran.

In response to inquiries from The Epoch Times on Tuesday, a spokesperson affirmed that the “FBI is in the process of investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and is closely collaborating with our partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.”

The FBI spokesperson, citing an ongoing investigation, refrained from providing further details.

Earlier this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) disclosed to CNN that the U.S. government is conducting a broader investigation into the leak of the classified documents, which were shared on various social media platforms in recent days. The Epoch Times could not independently verify their authenticity.

An investigation is currently underway, and I will receive a briefing on it in a few hours,” Johnson informed CNN, stating that his office is “keeping a close watch on the situation.”

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby commented on Monday that the Biden administration is uncertain whether the information was hacked or leaked, clarifying that there is no indication of any “additional documents of this nature being made public.” The Pentagon, in a statement, acknowledged being informed about the reports regarding the documents but had no further comments.

These materials were reportedly generated by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, a support agency under the Department of Defense (DOD), along with the National Security Agency (NSA), another intelligence agency.

The documents indicated that Israel is actively positioning military resources to execute a strike in retaliation to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” an intelligence alliance comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

The Telegram and X channel, which initially posted the leaked material, identified itself as “Middle East Spectator,” stating on Oct. 18 that it supposedly acquired the documents from a source within the U.S. intelligence community. An examination of the channel and its X account by The Epoch Times revealed a pattern of posting pro-Iranian content, with the X account profile indicating an Iranian base.

The “top secret” National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency documents that surfaced online projected Israel’s potential strikes on Iran and noted Israel’s preparations concerning its munitions. However, they highlighted that U.S. officials could not ascertain the “scale and magnitude” of the Israeli offensive.

The documents referenced satellite images captured between Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 within Israel.

If the report is accurate and verified, it implies that the United States is closely monitoring Israeli activities to ascertain whether preparations for an attack on Iran are underway, including utilizing satellites to observe Israeli Air Forces operations.

On Monday, Kirby informed reporters that President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the outcomes of the leak investigation.

“The president is deeply concerned about any unauthorized release of classified information to the public. This should not happen, and it is unacceptable when it does,” Kirby expressed.

Israel recently initiated a significant retaliatory operation against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist entity and political party in Lebanon. In response, an airstrike reportedly conducted by Israel’s military resulted in the demise of longstanding former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and several other high-ranking officials within the organization.

About three weeks ago, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in response to recent military activities, including Israel’s separate military campaign against Hamas, the Gaza-based terrorist group responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, assaults on Israel that resulted in over 1,200 fatalities, thousands of injuries, and at least 250 individuals being taken captive.

Earlier this year, Jack Teixeira, an Air National Guardsman, pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified military documents concerning Russia’s conflict in Ukraine and other national security matters.

The Israeli military has not issued a response to requests for comment regarding the leaked documents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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