Ex-CIA Officer Accused of Leaking Israel’s Iran Strike Plans
A former CIA employee has been accused of leaking classified documents related to Israel’s potential plan for a retaliatory strike on Iran. Rahman had access to sensitive information, as he worked abroad for the CIA with a high security clearance.
According to sources and court documents, Asif Rahman faces two charges for the deliberate possession and transmission of information pertinent to national defense. The FBI apprehended Rahman in Cambodia, and he was subsequently sent to federal court in Guam.
The leak of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency documents unveiled U.S. concerns over Israel’s plans, revealing that even close allies can be subject to surveillance. The documents included satellite imagery analysis, assessing Israel’s probable counterattack on Iran (following a missile strike on Israel on October 1), detailing the types of missiles and aircraft potentially involved in the operation. These details began circulating in the Telegram channel Middle East Spectator in October.
An FBI spokesperson stated that the investigation commenced immediately after the documents surfaced online. The leaked files contained satellite data from October 15 and 16, and investigators believe the breach occurred in Cambodia. The documents indicated that access to this information was restricted to individuals with proper clearance in the U.S. and Five Eyes alliance member countries—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The FBI confirmed it is investigating the leak in collaboration with the Department of Defense and other intelligence community agencies. The CIA declined to comment on the case.
Rahman’s arrest coincided with the sentencing of former U.S. Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira to 15 years in prison for stealing and disclosing classified military information through the Discord platform.
Israel and Iran have engaged in a prolonged conflict, masked by targeted strikes and covert operations aimed at senior IRGC figures and Tehran’s nuclear sites. In October, Israel struck Iranian military infrastructure, adding to a long record of past attacks attributed to or acknowledged by Israel.
Israel has also been repeatedly suspected of sabotaging Iran’s nuclear facilities, particularly the Natanz complex. In 2010, this site suffered the infamous Stuxnet cyberattack, which disabled hundreds of uranium-enrichment centrifuges, dealing a significant blow to the nuclear program. Another attack in 2021 caused a minor explosion at the same facility, and while Tehran labeled the incident as sabotage, it was widely speculated that Israel was behind it.
In March, Iranian hackers claimed they accessed data from the Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, reportedly hacking government email servers, including accounts from the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission.
