The U.S. government has initiated an investigation into the unauthorized release of “highly classified” documents. These classified documents, which detail Israel’s plans to attack Iran, were found posted on the messaging platform, Telegram.
What Happened: The documents are believed to originate from the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. They indicate that Israel is mobilizing military assets to launch a retaliatory strike against Iran, following Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1.
These documents were intended for internal circulation within the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, comprising the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. U.S. officials, who wished to remain anonymous, have confirmed the documents’ authenticity to The Associated Press.
The ongoing investigation is also probing how these documents were obtained, whether it was an intentional leak from within the U.S. intelligence community or through other means, such as hacking. It also scrutinizes whether any other intelligence information was compromised in the process, the AP report said.
The Pentagon has acknowledged the reports of the leaked documents, the report said, but refrained from commenting further. The “Middle East Spectator,” a Telegram channel, claimed to have received these “highly classified” documents from an anonymous source. However, the authenticity of the documents could not be verified by the Middle East Spectator.
The Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
Why It Matters: This leak comes at a critical time when the U.S. has been encouraging Israel to seek a ceasefire in Gaza following the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The U.S. has also advised Israel against escalating military operations in Lebanon, which could potentially trigger a broader regional conflict. Despite these warnings, Israel’s leadership remains adamant about not letting Iran’s missile attack go unanswered.
The leak of classified documents is a matter of grave concern for the U.S. government, especially given the recent history of similar incidents. In 2023, a significant security breach prompted the Pentagon to implement stricter measures for handling classified national security information. This breach involved a National Guardsman leaking classified documents on the Discord social media platform.
The Guardsman, who leaked the documents, was charged under the Espionage Act and was linked to an online group where the leaked documents first appeared.
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