FBI Is Investigating a Leak That Appears to Show Israel's Plan to Attack Iran

F.B.I. Investigates Apparent Leak of Israel’s Plans to Attack Iran

The documents began circulating on Friday on the Telegram app, and U.S. officials are looking for the original source of the leak.

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By Adam Goldman

Reporting from Washington

The F.B.I. is investigating a leak of highly classified documents that appear to show Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack earlier this month, the agency confirmed on Tuesday.

The documents were prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which is responsible for analyzing images and information collected by American spy satellites. The N.G.A. is part of the United States intelligence community and conducts sensitive work in support of clandestine and military operations.

The information in the documents is highly classified and details interpretations of satellite imagery that shed light on a possible strike by Israel on Iran. They began circulating on Friday on the Telegram app. U.S. officials have previously said they did not know from where the documents had been taken, and that they were looking for the original source of the leak.

In a statement, the F.B.I. said it was “working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community. As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no further comment.” The bureau is responsible for investigating violations of the Espionage Act, which outlaws the unauthorized retention of defense-related information that could harm the United States or aid a foreign adversary.

Israel has made it clear it intends to retaliate for an Iranian missile barrage on Oct. 1. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said that the strike was launched after the assassinations of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in Lebanon; Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, killed in Tehran in July; and an Iranian commander. U.S. officials believe the strike could take place in the coming days.

Our Coverage of the Middle East Crisis

• F.B.I. Investigates Apparent Leak: The agency is investigating a leak of highly classified documents that appear to show Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack on Oct. 1..
• Israel-Lebanon Conflict: A 2006 resolution by the U.N. Security Council ended the previous Israel-Hezbollah war but failed to keep the peace. Now, diplomats are fighting an uphill battle to revive the measure.
• Hezbollah’s Finances: The Israeli military conducted a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon on several branches of Al-Qard al-Hasan, a financial institution associated with the militant group Hezbollah.
• The Unattainable Two-State Solution: A Palestinian state remains the goal of the West, but analysts say the devastation in Gaza and the lack of effective Palestinian leadership make it a remote prospect.
• The Plight of Trapped Gazans: A video of a 19-year-old man burning to death after an Israeli strike at a hospital has stoked criticism from Israel’s allies.
• A Mideast Shift Without Israel: Before Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks, Saudi Arabia was open to forging stronger ties with the Israelis. Now, a year into the war in Gaza, it is warming up to its traditional enemy, Iran.