The U.S. government is investigating the unauthorized release of classified documents detailing Israel's potential military plans to strike Iran. The leak, confirmed by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during a Sunday interview with CNN, has raised significant concerns. Johnson called the allegations "serious" and confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.
The documents, reportedly legitimate according to a U.S. official speaking to the Associated Press, were attributed to U.S. intelligence agencies, including the Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency. They were first leaked on October 17 and offer insights into Israel’s military preparations following an Iranian missile attack on October 1.
The classified documents, which surfaced on the Telegram app, describe Israel’s efforts in readying air-launched ballistic missiles, refueling aircraft, and covert drone activities aimed at Iran. However, they do not provide details about potential Iranian targets nor suggest that Israel is preparing to use nuclear weapons.
The information indicates that Israel may have been planning a long-range missile strike in response to the Iranian attack, similar to a previous strike Israel carried out on the Houthis in Yemen. The documents further mention Israel’s use of advanced missiles, including the Rocks and another secretive system referred to as Golden Horizon.
The documents were marked for limited sharing within the Five Eyes intelligence network, which includes the U.S., UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, with some parts restricted to the U.S. and UK only.
The investigation is also probing how the documents were accessed—whether through a deliberate leak or hacking—and whether other sensitive information was compromised. The Pentagon acknowledged the reports but declined further comment.
The Israeli government has not yet responded publicly to the leaked documents. However, U.S. officials have urged Israel to capitalize on the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar while avoiding further escalation in Lebanon, emphasizing the risks of a broader regional conflict.
The Telegram channel that first shared the documents is linked to Iran and has previously posted content supportive of Tehran's resistance movement. This leak follows a similar breach of U.S. intelligence earlier this year by air national guardsman Jack Teixeira, who was charged with leaking classified military documents.
The investigation into this latest leak is ongoing as U.S. and Israeli officials seek to address the potential ramifications of the unauthorized disclosure.
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