U.S. officials are probing the leak of two top-secret documents that reveal American spy agencies tracking possible Israeli preparations for a strike on Iran, according to three U.S. officials.
The leaked materials emerged amid heightened tensions in the region following Iran’s missile barrage on October 1, which Tehran claimed was retaliation for Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and the assassination of key allies, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
Two U.S. officials confirmed the authenticity of the leaked documents, although the overall damage to national security appears limited, with an ongoing assessment, according to one official. The U.S. intelligence agencies have declined to comment on the leak, which surfaced on the social media platform Telegram on Friday.
Both documents are marked “Top Secret,” with one titled “Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Strike on Iran and Conducts a Second Large-Force Employment Exercise 15-16 October 2024.” The second document, labeled from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), details Israeli Defense Forces’ preparations for key munitions and covert drone activity, dated October 16, 2024.
The documents caution that while Israel’s military activities are under close observation, the scale and timing of any strike on Iran remain uncertain and could proceed without further intelligence warning. Additionally, Israel appears to have dispersed its medium-range ballistic missiles as a precaution against Iranian retaliation, with no indications of plans to use nuclear weapons.
The leak comes in the wake of a previous security breach involving Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who pleaded guilty in March for posting classified documents on Discord, prompting renewed scrutiny of how sensitive information is handled.
