The U.S. has opened an investigation into the leak of the Pentagon's classified documents that deal with Israel's preparations for an attack against Iran, three sources familiar with the details told CNN. One of them also confirmed to the network that the leaked documents are authentic.
"The leak is very worrying," an American source told CNN.
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Leaked documents were allegedly written by the Pentagon and describe the IDF's preparations for an attack on Iran
(Photo illustration: IDF spokeperson's unit; X platform)
The documents were first published on Telegram, and at the end of the week they were posted online. According to the documents, dated October 15 and October 16, the Israeli Air Force recently conducted exercises and "rehearsals" in preparation for an attack against Iran.
The documents are attributed to the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency (GNA) and note that Israel continues to move military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The documents do not contain details or an overall picture of the targets of the attack, but rather general preparations for a long-range attack by the Air Force, which the intelligence professionals and the Revolutionary Guards Air Force could have assessed for themselves using the basic intelligence they already have.
One of the documents states that, according to the analysis of various images, the Air Force conducted exercises with with air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBM), including at least 16 "Golden Horizon" missiles and 40 "Rocks" or ISO2 missiles. The documents also discuss "covert drone activity" and extensive deployment drills. It also reports on "secret UAV activity," and claims that the Air Force conducted a "second large-scale deployment exercise" between October 15 and 16. The report also states that, during those days, activity related to air-to-surface missiles (ASM) was observed at the Ramat David and Ramon Air Force Bases.
Another leaked document, which allegedly contains an analysis by the NGA, reports that the IDF "probably" also conducted an aerial refueling exercise on October 16, and contained a side note stating Israel's apparent ability to use UAVs in order to gather intelligence in Iran and "across the region."
A U.S. official said that the investigation will examine who had access to the documents. CNN noted that the procedures state that any such leak immediately leads to an investigation by the FBI, along with the Pentagon and intelligence agencies.
This could be a deliberate leak from the Pentagon, perhaps with the aim of fending off criticism from the progressive camp in the Democratic Party of the Biden administration for having no influence on Israel, and to show the American public - and also Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - that the U.S. actually has good control over the details.
The launch of ballistic missiles from Iran toward Israel
The leak also lends credibility to the statement Biden made in Berlin, that he has an understanding of how and when Israel was going to retaliate against missile attacks by Iran.
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