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A senior employee in US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s office is under suspicion of leaking classified documents to Tehran, a Pentagon official revealed to Sky News Arabia on Tuesday.
The individual in question holds a security clearance that provides access to highly sensitive information and serves as the director within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations.
The development follows an earlier report indicating that the US is investigating the leak of highly classified intelligence regarding Israel’s plans for potential retaliation against Iran.
The documents, marked as top secret, began circulating online on Friday after being posted on Telegram by an account named "Middle East Spectator." The documents, dated October 15 and 16, were intended for viewing only by the US and its "Five Eyes" allies, which include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The leak, described by a US official as "deeply concerning," has sparked a high-level investigation. House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged the seriousness of the issue during remarks on CNN’s State of the Union program, stating that the allegations are significant and that an investigation is already underway. Johnson confirmed he would receive a briefing on the matter shortly.
Any leak of this nature would automatically prompt an investigation by the FBI, working in conjunction with the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies.
The FBI confirmed on Tuesday that it has launched an investigation into an alleged leak of sensitive documents, just two days after multiple news outlets reported the exposure of highly classified US intelligence detailing Israel's potential plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran.
“The FBI is investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community,” the agency stated. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no further comment.”
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby addressed reporters on Monday, saying that it remains unclear whether the documents were released due to a leak or a cyber breach. He emphasized that the government does not anticipate any further unauthorized disclosure of classified material.
Complicating the investigation, Senator Roger Wicker tweeted on Monday to raise concerns about Ariane Tabatabai, the chief of staff for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations. Wicker noted that Tabatabai, who has access to top secret information, was implicated in a previous Iranian influence operation. He expressed frustration that her security clearance had not been suspended, citing the recent leak as a reflection of the administration's tolerance for insider threats.
"The latest apparent leak to an Iranian Telegram channel reflects the Biden-Harris administration's tolerance of insider threats," Wicker wrote on X.
A September 2023 joint investigation by Semafor and Iran International named Tabatabai as one of the key figures in a network tasked by Iran's foreign ministry to echo Tehran’s strategic messaging.
