A Telegram group posted what it calls 'highly classified' US documents about Israel's attack plans against Iran

Katie Balevic,Lloyd Lee
Updated Sat, October 19, 2024 

A Telegram group posted what it says is leaked US intel on Israel's attack plans against Iran.


Middle East Spectator shared the documents but couldn't verify their authenticity.


US officials have not yet commented publicly on the possible leak.

A Telegram channel posted what it says are "highly classified" US intelligence documents analyzing Israel's plans to attack Iran.

The channel for the "Middle East Spectator," which describes itself as an "open-source news aggregator" independent of any government, said in a statement that it had "received, through an anonymous source on Telegram who refused to identify himself, two highly classified U.S. intelligence documents, regarding preparations by the Zionist regime for an attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The Middle East Spectator said in its posted statement that it could not verify the authenticity of the documents.

No US or Israeli officials have publicly commented on the possible leak. Axios reported that intelligence officials declined to comment but did not dispute the veracity of the documents.

When reached for comment from Business Insider, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense said, "We are looking into these reports."

The region is bracing for an expected Israeli attack on Iran. Israeli officials have said it plans to retaliate for Iran's October 1 missile attack. The US announced this month it would send troops along with "a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery" to Israel in response to Iran's attack.

Iran's missile attack on Israel came in retaliation for Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in late September. Hezbollah is Iran's primary proxy in the region.

Sean McFate, a national security and foreign policy expert at Syracuse University, told Business Insider in a text that Israel's plan to attack Iran is "no surprise," and he senses a debate is going on within Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu's government as to which targets to choose.

He said the document leak is notable given that there are "not a whole lot of Iran sympathizers within the US government."

"It's also a tense time between Biden and Bibi right now," McFate said, "and all under the shadow of the election."

 Business Insider




Details of how Israel's purported preparations for Iran attack leaked, explained

Adam Schrader

upi
Sun, October 20, 2024 

Leaked U.S. documents purportedly indicate that Israel is preparing to attack Iran with ROCKS missiles, pictured in a promotional photo by developer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. File Photo by Rafael Advance Defense Systems


Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A team of independent bloggers in the Middle East who purportedly spread classified documents detailing Israel's plans for a strike against rival Iran have explained how the information leaked.

On Friday, the self-described "news aggregator" Middle East Spectator shared documents appearing to have originated from the U.S. intelligence community on Telegram. UPI has reviewed the documents but has not been able to verify their authenticity.

The documents were marked as "top secret" and appear to have come from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which generates intelligence from satellite and aerial imagery.

Markings on the documents indicate that they required special handling to protect data provided by a contributing foreign government, Israel, and could only be shared with America's "Five Eyes" allies - Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Specifically, the documents detail recent military activities by the Israeli Air Force including the purported launches of air-launched ballistic missiles, drones and air-to-surface missiles in preparation for an attack on Iran.

The documents specifically note the possible existence of previously unknown to the public weapons including "Golden Horizon" ABLMs. Another weapon mentioned, ROCKS, is developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the creator of the Iron Dome.

"We are independent journalists and are not tied to any government entity or organization," Middle East Spectator said in a post, hitting back at claims in American media that the collective has ties to Iran.

Middle East Spectator shared that one of its acquaintances had received the documents from an anonymous source on Telegram who refused to identify themselves after they first appeared in a private Telegram group with just 7,000 members.

"Middle East Spectator is not aware of any additional leaked classified U.S. documents. We also reiterate that we have no connection to the original source, which we assume to be a whistleblower within the U.S. Department of Defense," the collective said.

"As far as we are aware, the documents first appeared in a private Telegram group with just over 7,000 members, where the leaker was likely present. Somehow, the documents found their way out of the group."

The collective clarified that it does not know the identity of the original leaker, and also cannot verify the authenticity of the documents.

But American officials have confirmed the authenticity of the documents to news outlets including CNN, calling the leak "deeply concerning."


US investigates leak on intelligence about Israel's Iran attack plans: Updates

John Bacon, USA TODAY
Updated Sun, October 20, 2024 


An investigation is underway into the "very concerning" leak of classified U.S. intelligence documents detailing Israel’s plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday.

Johnson told CNN's State of the Union he would receive a briefing on the probe later Sunday. "There’s some serious allegations being made there," Johnson said. "We’re following it closely."

The documents, revealed on the Telegram messaging app last week, appear to have been prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. They describe U.S. interpretations of Israeli Air Force and Navy planning using satellite imagery from Oct. 15-16. The Pentagon said it is looking into the leak.

Israel has pledged a firm response to Iran's ballistic-missile barrage on Israel Oct. 1, the second direct attack on Israel in six months. President Joe Biden, responding to questions from reporters, said last week he had a good understanding of when and how Israel would attack Iran.

But he also said he sees an opportunity to end the two enemies' back-and-forth strikes.

Developments:

∎ Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Sunday he had ordered his ministry to start legal proceedings against French President Emmanuel Macron after Paris banned Israeli firms from participating in an upcoming military naval trade show.

∎ The Israeli military said it was conducting "targeted activity" against Hezbollah infrastructures in southern Lebanon as both sides continued aerial attacks. Air Force fighter jets attacked dozens of militant targets and the launcher from which dozens of missiles were fired towards Western Galilee earlier Sunday.

Trump leak suggests Iran is hacking former president's campaign
Israel warns Lebanese civilians to evacuate ahead of attacks

Israel said Sunday it was preparing attacks on sites in Lebanon linked to the financial operations of Iran-backed Hezbollah and published maps with the likely targets warning civilians to evacuate the areas.

The warning came hours after Israel said it hit Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut. The Hezbollah-linked financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association has more than 30 branches across Lebanon including 15 across central Beirut and its suburbs.

Avichay Adraee, an Israeli spokesperson for the Arab media, posted the maps on social media with a warning to those living near the targets.

"You are located near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah, which the (Israeli military) will work against in the near future," Adraee warned. "For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate these buildings and those adjacent to them immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters."
UN blasts Israel for latest attack; Israel says report 'exaggerated'

The U.N. peace envoy for the Middle East on Sunday condemned continued attacks on civilians after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza's Beit Lahiya late on Saturday. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 87 people were killed and at least 40 wounded.

"The nightmare in Gaza is intensifying" said Tor Wennesland, the U.N. Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. "Horrifying scenes are unfolding in the northern Strip amidst conflict, relentless Israeli strikes and an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis."

The Israeli military dismissed the Hamas-run ministry's numbers as "exaggerated," saying they “do not line up with the information available to the IDF, the precision munitions used, and the precise damage done."
Israel commander denies Sinwar killing was 'stroke of luck'

The attack that killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, widely reported as a chance encounter, was the result of professional soldiering and "not a stroke of luck,” Israeli Col. Sivan Bloch stressed on Sunday.

Bloch's Defense Force’s 828th Brigade was tasked with continuing mop-up operations in Rafah, including locating and demolishing leftover Hamas infrastructure, eliminating militants, and searching for signs of hostages.

Block told the Times of Israel that a vigilant soldier spotted suspicious movement several hundred meters away. The incident was almost given an all-clear after nothing was initially found, but trackers with the brigade searched the area and found fresh footprints on the ground, Bloch said.

Soldiers followed the footprints to a house where they found Sinwar and his guards. A gunfight ensued and the militants were killed and a soldier went into the building.

“Half jesting, we said, ‘Walla, it looks like Yahya Sinwar.’ We went up to him physically, and there was no doubt. His face is easy to recognize," Bloch said. "I can tell you that we didn’t even believe it at first."

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel war updates: US investigates leak on Israel's Iran attack plans



Purported leaked US intelligence docs appear to show Israel's plans for attack on Iran

MATT SEYLER, LUIS MARTINEZ and CINDY SMITH
Sat, October 19, 2024 

Documents purported to show classified U.S. intelligence gathering on Israel's preparations for a potential retaliatory strike on Iran appeared on social media platforms this week. It is unclear what impact the potential leak may have on any Israeli military planning for a possible strike on Iran, or Israeli-American relations.

U.S. officials declined to provide comment when contacted by ABC News about the possible leak of highly-sensitive material.

ABC News could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents, which appear to show specific details about the types and number of munitions that Israel may be readying for a potentially large-scale strike on Iran in retaliation for the regime's late September barrage of almost 200 ballistic missiles aimed at Israel.

The documents posted on social media have markings that would indicate that they originated from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the U.S. agency that collects, analyzes and distributes intelligence gleaned from satellite and aerial imagery. ABC News is not quoting directly from or showing the documents.

PHOTO: In this Nov. 11, 2023, file photo, a cellphone is shown with seal of US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in front of the agency's webpage. (imageBROKER/Timon Schneider/Newscom, FILE)

Analysis of overhead satellite imagery is just one of multiple intelligence collection tools that the U.S. intelligence community uses to make strategic assessments or risk evaluations.

"We are looking into these reports," a senior U.S. defense official told ABC News when asked about the purported intelligence documents.

The Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation and a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence all declined to provide any comment when contacted by ABC News.

MORE: What comes next after Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death?

If the posts prove authentic, it would signify a major intelligence breach, one reminiscent of the massive leak discovered last year after hundreds of classified documents were shared on the Discord social media platform.

PHOTO: IDF soldiers are continuing limited, localized, targeted raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon, on Oct. 15, 2024. (IDF/GPO via SIPA via Shutterstock)

Earlier this year U.S. Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information relating to the Discord leaks.

Axios first reported on the leaked documents.

"If it is true that Israel tactical plans to respond to Iran's attack on October 1st have been leaked, it is a serious breach," said Mick Mulroy, an ABC News national security and defense contributor, who served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.

"Everyone that has access to this information has an obligation to keep it secure," said Mulroy. "The men and women of the IDF that would carry out this mission could be compromised because of this, the future coordination between the U.S. and Israel could be challenged as well."

"Trust is a key component in the relationship and depending on how this was leaked that trust could be eroded," he added.

Purported leaked US intelligence docs appear to show Israel's plans for attack on Iran originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

US investigates leak on intelligence about Israel's Iran attack plans

Reuters
Sun, October 20, 2024 at 7:48 AM MDT·2 min read
6


Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, visits the New York Stock Exchange to deliver an economic address in New York


(Reuters) -The United States is investigating the leak of a pair of highly classified intelligence documents describing Israel's preparations for a retaliatory strike on Iran, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday.

The documents appear to have been prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, describing U.S. interpretations of Israeli Air Force and Navy planning based on satellite imagery from Oct. 15-16.

They began circulating last week on the Telegram messaging app. Israel has been planning a response to a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on Oct. 1, its second direct attack on Israel in six months. Israel has intensified its offensive in Gaza and Lebanon, days after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Asked about the leak of the documents during an interview with CNN, Johnson, the U.S. House of Representatives' top lawmaker, said an "investigation (is) underway and I'll get a briefing on that in a couple of hours."

"...We are following it closely," Johnson added.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon said it was looking into the leak reports.

The New York Times reported that officials acknowledged privately that the documents were authentic, but that they likely only represent a portion of information the U.S. has on its close ally's planning.

The first document is titled: "Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Strike on Iran and Conducts a Second Large-Force Employment Exercise". It describes activities including ballistic and air-to-surface missile handling.

The second is titled: "Israel: Defense Forces Continue Key Munitions Preparations and Covert UAV Activity Almost Certainly for a Strike on Iran". UAVs are also known as drones.

U.S. President Joe Biden, responding to questions from reporters, said last week he had a good understanding of when and how Israel would attack Iran. But he also said he sees an opportunity to end the two enemies' back-and-forth strikes.

(Reporting by Rami Ayyub, Sarah N. Lynch and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)