On October 21, a White House spokesperson expressed deep concerns from President Biden regarding a “leak of classified intelligence” related to Israel’s preparations for retaliatory strikes against Iran.
During a briefing, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby stated that the Pentagon has initiated an investigation into this incident. “Both the President and I are extremely concerned about any unauthorized dissemination of classified information into the public domain. This should not happen, and it is unacceptable,” Kirby remarked.
He further noted that the Biden administration is still investigating whether the leaked information was a result of a hacking incident. Currently, officials have not found any evidence suggesting that similar documents have also entered the public sphere.
On October 20, U.S. House Speaker Johnson announced an inquiry into the leak of two highly classified intelligence documents, which outline Israel’s plans for military action against Iran.
According to the Associated Press, these documents originate from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. They reveal Israel mobilizing military assets in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on October 1. The documents are shareable within the framework of the “Five Eyes” alliance, which includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Earlier reports indicated that one of the documents was titled “Israel: Air Force Continues Preparation for Attacks on Iran and Will Conduct a Second Large-Scale Military Exercise.” Another document was labeled “Israel Defense Forces Continue Critical Munition Preparations and Covert Drone Operations.”
These classified documents were marked as “top secret” and first appeared on the social media platform Telegram on October 18, where they quickly circulated.
