The United States (U.S.) is investigating the leak of highly classified documents describing Israel’s preparations to retaliate against Iran, House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed. The documents, allegedly prepared by the National Geospatial–Intelligence Agency, detail U.S. interpretations of Israeli air and naval plans based on satellite imagery from October 15th-16th.
The documents started circulating on the Telegram app last week. According to them, Israel is planning a response to a ballistic missile attack by Iran on October 1st, which is Tehran’s second direct response to Israeli attacks in the past six months.
During an interview with CNN, when asked about the leaked documents, Johnson said that “the investigation is ongoing” and that he would receive an intelligence briefing on the situation in the coming hours. “We are carefully monitoring the situation,” he added.
The National Geospatial–Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon said it was investigating reports of the leaked documents.
According to the New York Times, officials privately acknowledged the authenticity of the documents but said they likely represent only a fraction of the information the U.S. has about its close ally’s plans.
The first document is titled: “Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Attack on Iran and Conducts Second Major Military Exercise.” It mentions activities related to the handling of ballistic and air-launched missiles.
Another document is titled: “Israel: Armed Forces Continue Key Ammunition Preparations and Secret Drone Activities, Almost Certainly for Attack on Iran.”
U.S. President Joe Biden said two weeks ago that he has a good understanding of when and how Israel will attack Iran, but also stressed that he sees an opportunity to end mutual strikes between the two hostile countries.
