According to a trove of classified documents leaked from the Pentagon and published first by Ynet, the United States believes Israel has held large-scale drills simulating an attack on Iran's nuclear program despite what it considered Israel's "declining military capability."
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The newly discovered document, dated February 23 and marked "top secret", Israel conducted a major air exercise on February 20 that simulated an attack on Iran's nuclear program, allegedly to demonstrate Jerusalem's resolve against Tehran.
Although the exercise, which involved dozens of aircraft, had not been revealed before, an American officer had observed a similar one a month earlier. Furthermore, Israel and the United States had conducted a joint exercise at the end of January.
The document also noted that in early February, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) discovered enriched uranium traces at a level close to the threshold required for nuclear weapons, ultimately crossing Israel's declared red line in one of Iran's enrichment facilities.
This document was coded using SIGINT – intelligence derived from electronic signals and systems used by foreign targets - and should not have been shared with foreign countries. Furthermore, it had a FISA classification, meaning it was dealt with by a special court that authorizes sensitive surveillance for the American intelligence community.
The document further notes that the CIA is uncertain about Israel's plans for the near future and its intentions. Israel may await the reaction from the United States and the international community after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported traces of enriched uranium near the level required for nuclear weapons in Iran, and whether Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approves such enrichment. Only then would Israel decide whether to act.
In the document, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is mistakenly referred to as "President Netanyahu," and it suggests he may believe that Israel will have to attack Iran to foil its nuclear program, despite facing a “declining military capability”, probably in reference to threats by Air Force pilots to refuse service in protest of the government’s judicial overhaul legislation.
According to sources with knowledge on the matter, the NSA has recently hired dozens of Hebrew speakers, with around 250 translators, analysts, and other experts currently assigned to listen to Hebrew broadcasts, communications, and phone calls.
However, the information relayed to the CIA and military intelligence is occasionally unreliable, as evidenced by the revelation in the previous document file of inaccurate claims about Mossad's senior officials encouraging Israelis to participate in protests against the judicial plan.
According to another document also dated February 23, the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Shiite militias took advantage of the aid shipments to the victims of the earthquake in Syria to smuggle weapons to Iranian proxies in the country. The document stated that Israel targets Iranian arms shipments destined for Lebanon and Syria, while Iran claims that the shipments contain humanitarian equipment.
According to a document also dated February 23, Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force and Shiite militias have exploited aid shipments to earthquake victims in Syria to smuggle weapons to their proxies in the country.
The document reveals that Israel targets Iranian arms shipments intended for Lebanon and Syria, whereas Iran maintains that the shipments only contain humanitarian supplies.
On Thursday evening, the United States concluded an extensive manhunt for the suspected leaker of the Pentagon documents with the arrest of Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. The FBI apprehended Teixeira at his home after an armed raid, and later released aerial footage of the arrest.
The New York Times reported that Teixeira was the leader of an online group called Thug Shaker Central, an online group where about 20 to 30 people shared their love of guns, racist memes and video games, citing interviews and documents it reviewed.