Photo Credit: Getty Images
A U.S. intelligence official has been charged with espionage offenses after highly classified documents detailing Israel's military planning for a strike on Iran were leaked online last month.
Asif W. Rahman, who works for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and held a top secret security clearance, was arrested in Cambodia on Tuesday following an indictment in federal court in Virginia. He now faces two counts of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information.
The leaked documents, attributed to the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and National Security Agency, were published anonymously on the Telegram messaging app in October. They revealed details about Israel's apparent preparations for a retaliatory attack on Iran.
One of the documents has been entitled "Israel: air force continues preparations for strike on Iran and conducts a second large-force employment exercise." While another was "Israel: defense forces continue key munitions preparations and covert UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] activity almost certainly for a strike on Iran."
The files detailed satellite imagery and the types of missiles Israel has on hand, information that is typically only accessible to those with the proper security clearances in the U.S. and its Five Eyes intelligence partners - the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The leaks came after Iran launched its largest-ever missile barrage against Israel on October 1st, an escalation of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East sparked by Hamas terrorist attacks the previous month.
"The White House said it was 'deeply concerned' by the unauthorized release of these highly sensitive documents," said Richard Luscombe, a reporter covering the story. "Officials are still trying to determine the full extent of the damage from this significant breach of classified information."
Rahman's exact connection to the NGA is unclear, but court documents show he held the type of top secret clearance typical for CIA employees who handle classified materials. His arrest follows the recent sentencing of Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira to 15 years in prison for a similar leak of classified documents about the war in Ukraine.
"This is one of the most consequential violations of the Espionage Act in recent memory," said legal analyst Emma Davidson. "The leaks could have serious implications for U.S. national security and the delicate geopolitical situation in the Middle East."
As the investigation continues, officials are working to assess the fallout from this damaging breach and shore up security measures to prevent such leaks from happening again in the future. The stakes are high, with the potential for these classified plans to further inflame tensions between Israel and Iran.
