Senior American officials have expressed deep concerns over the leak of two intelligence documents detailing Israeli preparations for an attack on Iran. These documents were shared by a Telegram account linked to Iran, as reported by Hebrew media sources.
The Hebrew news outlet Walla quoted unnamed senior American officials stating, “We are extremely worried about the leak that occurred just as Israel was finalizing its preparations for an attack on Iran.”
According to the report, a Telegram account named “Middle East Spectator,” known for its support of the Iranian regime, claimed on Friday that it had received documents from a source within the U.S. intelligence community about Israeli preparations for a strike on Iran. The account accompanied the post with scanned documents it claimed were part of the leak.
The documents, dated October 15 and 16, began circulating online on Friday after being shared on the “Middle East Spectator” account.
These documents were classified as highly confidential, marked for the United States and its “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing partners: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. They describe preparations that appear to be underway by Israeli forces for a strike on Iran. One of the documents, compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, indicates plans involving the movement of Israeli munitions.
Another document, attributed to the National Security Agency, details Israeli air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles, which are believed to be in preparation for an attack on Iran.
An American official mentioned that investigations are ongoing to determine who had access to the document. Any leak of this nature would automatically prompt an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alongside the Pentagon and other intelligence agencies. The FBI declined to comment.
The U.S. Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (CIA) also refrained from commenting on the leaked documents but did not deny their authenticity, according to Walla.
The report noted that “the timing of the leak came as Israel was completing its preparations for retaliatory action against Iran, in response to the missile attack that took place on October 1st, which was perceived as an attempt to influence or disrupt these plans.”
American officials described the leak as “a very serious incident,” yet indicated that, in their assessment, it would not affect Israel’s operational plans.
According to Walla, the documents included a report from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) of the Pentagon, detailing preparatory operations in recent days at various Israeli air force bases, including the transfer of advanced weaponry intended for attacks on Iran.
Hebrew media have reported that Israel has been preparing since the retaliatory Iranian attack earlier this month to launch a major strike against Iran, coordinated with the United States.
In a related context, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth shed light on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, following the martyrdom of Hamas political bureau chief Yahya Sinwar during clashes with Israeli forces in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
The newspaper stated that “Israel continues its preparations to launch an attack on Iran, even after the killing of Sinwar.” However, it added, “The dilemma facing Israel is to answer these questions: What will be the target? How will the operation be executed? What will be Iran’s response?”
The paper pointed out that “more than two weeks after Iran’s attack on Israel, reports on discussions, preparations, and dilemmas concerning the target are increasing, but there is still little clarity on this issue.”
U.S. President Joe Biden declared last night that he “knows how and when Israel will respond to the Iranian attack,” but Yedioth emphasized that in Tel Aviv, they insist “preparations for the attack on Iran are ongoing, and they will not be affected by Sinwar’s death.”
The Hebrew newspaper continued: “It is likely that Israel’s response will be soon, which can be inferred not only from the increasing Israeli, American, and Iranian preparations or the heightened rhetoric, but also from the fact that many Israeli experts on Iran and military affairs are refusing to engage in public interviews and assessments about the nature of the response.”
It noted that “one reason for the delay in Israel’s attack on Iran is the readiness requested by Tel Aviv and its regional partners, along with the United States, for a potential Iranian response to such an attack,” indicating that Washington agreed last week to deploy the THAAD missile defense system.
Haaretz reported that Israel has three types of targets: military targets, oil facilities, or sites related to Iran’s nuclear program, or a combination of several types. U.S. President Joe Biden has publicly opposed the latter two.
Through various channels, Iran has hinted that a limited response would allow it to contain the escalation and avoid ongoing reciprocal strikes, a tactic it used in April 2024.
According to the Hebrew newspaper’s assessment, “Iran is not currently interested in a direct war with Israel,” noting that amidst this backdrop, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees an opportunity.
The newspaper highlighted that “the opportunity Netanyahu sees lies in continuing the war on Gaza and Lebanon by targeting Iran as the leader of the anti-Israel axis and a nuclear threshold state.”
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This article maintains the original tone and aligns with an Islamic perspective on the situation, emphasizing the dynamics of regional politics and the actions of Israel, Iran, and the United States.
