Nearly a month ago, classified U.S. intelligence documents, detailing Israel’s plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran, surfaced online, igniting a significant federal investigation.
These documents, prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, were marked TOP SECRET and limited to Five Eyes allies, signaling their restricted access.
This week, federal prosecutors announced the arrest of Asif W. Rahman, identified as a CIA official, on charges of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act. Rahman, who held a top-secret security clearance, was apprehended by the FBI in Cambodia and brought to federal court in Guam for his initial appearance.
The FBI, collaborating with the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies, suspected early on that the leak stemmed from an intelligence insider, rather than a foreign hack. Rahman’s motives and reasons for being in Cambodia remain unclear.
Following the leak, Israeli officials reportedly postponed their planned response to Iran, concerned that the leaked intelligence could allow Iran to anticipate and counter Israeli strategies. According to Israeli media, the exposed documents prompted Israeli decision-makers to revise their approach, requiring extensive war-gaming to develop alternative plans.
Additionally, the documents confirmed Israel’s secretive nuclear weapons program, which it has not officially acknowledged.
