CNN —
The United States is investigating the leak of highly classified information about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, three people familiar with the matter said. One of the acquaintances confirmed the authenticity of the document.
A U.S. official told CNN the leak was “very concerning.”
The document, dated Oct. 15 and 16, began circulating online on Friday after it was posted on Telegram by an account called “Middle East Spectator.”
These are marked as top secret and marked to indicate that they can only be viewed by the United States and its “Five Eyes” allies: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
They describe possible preparations Israel is making for an attack on Iran. One of the documents, prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, says the plan includes Israel moving munitions.
Another document, sourced from the National Security Agency, outlines Israeli Air Force exercises involving air-to-ground missiles that are also believed to be preparations for an attack on Iran. CNN does not directly quote from or point to the document.
U.S. officials said the investigation is looking into who had access to the alleged Pentagon documents. Such a breach would automatically trigger an investigation by the FBI, along with the Department of Defense and U.S. intelligence agencies. The FBI declined to comment.
The leak comes at a very sensitive time in U.S.-Israel relations and is sure to anger Israel, which was preparing to attack Iran in response to Iran’s missile barrage on October 1. is.
“If it is true that Israel’s tactical plans for the October 1 attack on Iran were leaked, this is a serious violation,” said Mick Mulroy, a former assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and a former CIA official.
Mulroy added that “future coordination between the United States and Israel could be similarly difficult.” Trust is a key element of a relationship, and depending on how this is compromised, it can be compromised. ”
The National Security Council has asked CNN for comment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency declined to comment. CNN has reached out to the National Security Agency for comment.
“These two documents are egregious, but not egregious,” said another U.S. official. The concern is whether the number will increase further. ”
It is not clear how the documents were made public or whether they were hacked or intentionally leaked. The U.S. is already on high alert about Iranian hacking efforts — in August, U.S. intelligence agencies announced that Iran had hacked into Donald Trump’s campaign documents.
Axios first reported the leaked documents on Saturday.
A major leak of U.S. information last year also strained U.S. relations with allies and partners, including South Korea and Ukraine, after a 21-year-old Air National Guard member posted classified information on the social media platform Discord.
CNN’s Evan Perez and Katie Bo Lillis contributed to this report.
