The White House says the apparent leak of secret U.S. assessments of Israel’s preparations for the attack is “unacceptable.”
The White House said US President Joe Biden was “deeply concerned” by the apparent leak of US government documents outlining intelligence assessments of Israel’s preparations to attack Iran.
Washington does not know exactly how the documents published last week on the social network Telegram were made public, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.
It is unclear whether the files were leaked or hacked.
“The President remains deeply concerned about any leak of classified information into the public domain. This is not supposed to happen and it is unacceptable when it happens,” Kirby said.
The classified documents include an analysis of satellite images of Israeli military activities.
Records indicate the Israeli military “manipulated” air-launched ballistic missiles – which are fired from an aircraft – and carried out covert drone activity earlier this month “almost certainly” in preparation for a strike against Israel. ‘Iran.
But the assessment, which appears to have been prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, adds that the analysis cannot “definitively predict the scale and scope.”
Several U.S. media outlets have cited unnamed U.S. officials saying the secret documents appear authentic.
The files first appeared on the Telegram channel Middle East Spectator, which publishes news and commentary on the region. The account shares posts that support Iran and its allies, but has refuted allegations of ties to the government in Tehran.
Ongoing investigation
US House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed on Sunday that an investigation into how the documents became public was “ongoing”, saying he would receive a briefing on the matter.
The United States has seen significant leaks of secret government documents in recent years, including classified military intelligence assessments that surfaced online in 2023, with the publication blamed on a U.S. National Guard airman.
On Friday, Biden expressed optimism about the chances of containing tensions between Iran and Israel, saying there is an “opportunity” to stop the back-and-forth between the two countries.
It is widely believed that Israel is preparing an attack on Iran, and Tehran has pledged to respond to any further attacks. “I am aware of how Israel plans to respond and the timing,” Biden told reporters during a trip to Germany last week, but stopped short of providing further details.
Biden has not revealed any diplomatic initiatives to prevent the conflict from escalating.
Iran fired a barrage of missiles at military targets in Israel on October 1 in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general in Beirut.
Biden previously suggested he opposed an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear or oil facilities.
Asked Friday if he understood how and when Israel would respond, Biden responded: “Yes and yes.”
Anyone who knows or understands “how and when Israel was going to attack Iran”, and/or provides the means and support for such madness, should logically be held responsible for any possible causation.
– Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) October 18, 2024
His comments sparked anger in Iran.
“Anyone who knows or understands ‘how and when Israel was going to attack Iran,’ and/or provides the means and support for such madness, should logically be held responsible for any possible causality,” the Iranian foreign minister wrote Abbas Araghchi on social networks. media in response to Biden’s remarks.
On Monday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted a military source as saying that the Iranian response to any Israeli attack would be “decisive” and “beyond Zionists’ estimates.”
Earlier this month, the Biden administration expanded sanctions on Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors over missile launches against Israel.