This is a developing story.
The FBI is investigating the leak of classified documents purported to highlight Israeli preparations for a strike against Iran following Iran's second attack against Israel since April 2024. This incident has been widely reported but not widely understood in its importance.
In a statement Tuesday, the bureau said it is probing the disclosure and “working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.” They did not provide further details.
Both documents were leaked in a channel on the Telegram Messaging platform called The Middle East Spectator, where they remain posted as of this article's release.
Armed Force Press staff have reviewed the documents and here are the critical two points.
- The information in the documents is not as concerning as the fact that they were leaked. This tells our allies that we have people inside our national security agencies who disregard classification restrictions and are willing to sell out our allies by exposing their plans—or possible plans. It continues to message to Israel that they are right to limit their sharing of any plans they develop with America.
- After reviewing the documents, we can confirm that they do not explicitly state anything about specific targets inside Iran. The information contains indicators that could lead to assumptions about plans Israel could have for multiple targets in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, or Iran.
The FBI may identify the person who leaked the document, but the damage is done. Not only is Israel right to be leery of sharing with us, but so should all of our allies until we can prove we are trustworthy.
