NEW YORK: Two highly classified U.S. intelligence documents detailing Israel’s preparations for an attack on Iran were leaked online on Saturday, The New York Times reported.
The documents, from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), responsible for analyzing images and information collected by US spy satellites, provide information on Israeli military exercises and the operational readiness.
Marked top secret, the documents were posted online to Telegram, an instant messaging (IM) service, and then reported widely by American print and electronic media.
“We are looking into these reports,” a senior U.S. defence official told ABC News, when the American television network asked about the purported intelligence documents.
The documents provide detailed analysis of satellite images showing Israel military exercises, which appear to be in preparation for a attack on Iran.
One of the documents is titled Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations to Strike Iran and describes recent Israeli exercises that appear to rehearse a possible military operation against Iran. These preparations reportedly include air-to-air refueling operations, search and rescue missions and the repositioning of missile systems in anticipation of possible Iranian attacks.
The second document reveals Israeli efforts to move munitions and other military assets to strategic locations.
While the documents describe Israeli military movements and exercises, they do not provide satellite imagery. US intelligence gathered from these images suggests that Israel is preparing for an attack, but it is unclear whether these documents reveal the full extent of Israel plans for Iran.
The leaks have reportedly raised immediate concern within the US government. US officials are divided over the severity of the leak, with some downplaying its impact as the documents do not reveal new US capabilities. Others, however, are alarmed by the exposure of Israel sensitive military plans, especially at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East.
President Joe Biden, when asked during a recent trip to Germany if he was aware of Israel planned attack on Iran and its targets, responded with a curt Yes and yes, but declined to give further details.
Although the exact source of the leak is unknown, early indications suggest that the documents may have been taken by a low-level US government employee. A joint investigation by the Pentagon, US intelligence agencies and the FBI is underway to determine how the information was leaked and whether more documents might follow.
