The United States is investigating the leak of two highly classified intelligence documents describing Israel’s preparations for a retaliatory attack on Iran, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday.
The documents appear to have been prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and describe US interpretations of Israeli Air Force and Navy planning based on satellite images dating from October 15 and 16.
They began circulating last week on the messaging app Telegram. Israel planned a response to an October 1 ballistic missile barrage by Iran, its second direct attack on Israel in six months.
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Asked about the leaked documents in an interview with CNN, Johnson, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, said that an “investigation ([était] in progress and [que] I will be informed in a few hours.”
« […] We are following the matter closely,” Johnson added.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have not yet responded to requests for comment. The Pentagon said it was reviewing the leak reports.
A senior Israeli official told the Axios news site that theestablishment of the defense took the escape very seriously. A US official said the alleged leak, while extremely concerning, would not impact plans to attack Iran.
The New York Times reported that officials privately acknowledged that the documents were authentic, but that they likely represented only part of the information the United States has about its close ally’s plans.
Both files were posted by a pro-Iran Telegram account, the Middle East Spectator, which claims they were sent by a Pentagon source and detail U.S. observations of the military’s actions. Israeli air force on October 15 and 16, in anticipation of an attack.
The first document is titled “Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Attack on Iran, Conducts Second Large Force Exercise.” It describes activities such as handling ballistic and air-to-ground missiles (SAM).
The second is titled “Israel: Army Continues Preparing Key Munitions and Covert Drone Activity Almost Certainly for Strike on Iran.” UAVs are also known as drones.
Documents document observation of Israeli Air Force exercises using previously used air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBMs), SAMs, fighter jets, drones and refueling tankers during Israeli strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen.
According to documents, the Air Force has handled at least 16 Golden Horizon ALBMs and 40 IS02 ALBMs (ROCKS) since October 8, 2023.
Screenshot from undated video of a ROCKS missile test launch. (Credit: YouTube; used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright Act)
The Islamic Republic is bracing for Israeli retaliation after its latest direct attack on Israel, in which it fired 200 ballistic missiles that sent most of Israel into fallout shelters on October 1, killed a Palestinian in the West Bank and caused minor damage to residential areas and military bases. Iran said the missile attack was a response to strikes in Lebanon that killed top leaders of the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah and an explosion in Tehran in July that killed the bureau chief policy of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ismaïl Haniyeh.
Washington has sought to soften Jerusalem’s plans to retaliate for the October 1 attack – which forced most of the country into fallout shelters and safe rooms and which killed a Palestinian in the West Bank – fearing that the escalating shooting could trigger a wider war, drawing in other countries in the region.
He urged Israel not to strike Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities.
The attack caused damage in Israel, including Israeli air bases, although the military said no planes or critical infrastructure were hit and the air force was operating at full capacity.
On Saturday evening, N12 quoted an anonymous Israeli source as saying that Israel hoped the drone attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home in Caesarea earlier in the day would give Israel “greater legitimacy.” for a greater number of targets” in Iran, if necessary.
Netanyahu said the drone attack represented an assassination attempt and blamed it on “agents of Iran.”
US President Joe Biden, responding to questions from reporters, said last week that he had a good understanding of when and how Israel would attack Iran. But he also said he saw an opportunity to end reciprocal strikes by the two foes.
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