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A CIA official has been charged with leaking classified documents allegedly revealing Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran following an October 1 missile strike on the Jewish state, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Asif W. Rahman was indicted last week in a Virginia federal court on two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, the newspaper reported citing court documents and informed sources.
The FBI apprehended Rahman in Cambodia on Tuesday, later transferring him to federal court in Guam to face charges.
The leaked information pertains to intelligence from US satellites detailing preparations for an Israeli air assault on Iran, aimed at retaliation for an October 1 missile attack on Israel.
Two US intelligence documents dated October 15 and 16, originally restricted to the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States), appeared last month on the pro-Iran Telegram channel Middle East Spectator as Israel geared up to respond to the barrage of 181 ballistic missiles.
The platform’s X account lists its location as the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a public statement, Middle East Spectator denied any direct connection to the original source of the leaks, saying, “we assume [it to be] a whistleblower within the US State Department.”
In October, Holden Tripplet, a former FBI counterintelligence official, shared his insights with Iran International, noting, “The leak, if done without official sanction by the US government, may have been intended to dissuade an Israeli strike or at least limit the overall retaliatory response.”
However, Tripplet, who served 15 years in the FBI, suggested this may be just the beginning, adding, “There may have been other documents leaked along with those, which would likely indicate someone within the US government disillusioned with US policy toward Israel. They may be attempting to damage the broader relationship.”
The leak sparked widespread criticism, with now President-elect Donald Trump taking to social media in October to intensify his attacks on the Biden-Harris administration.
“Israel has been seriously damaged and compromised … MUST FIND THE LEAKER! Israel no longer wants to share documents with the US, and who can blame them!” the former President posted on Truth Social.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton also formally appealed to President Biden, requesting biweekly briefings on the progress of the investigation into the leak.
“This leak is an outrageous betrayal of an ally and a breach of trust that will undermine our relationship with partners for years to come,” wrote Cotton, a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, in a letter published by the Washington Free Beacon.
