A CIA official has been charged with leaking classified documents that reportedly revealed Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran following a missile attack earlier this year, as reported by a New York Times report, quoting individuals familiar with the case, in addition to court documents.
The official, Asif W. Rahman, was indicted last week in federal court in Virginia on two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. He was apprehended by the FBI on Tuesday in Cambodia and transported to federal court in Guam to face these charges.
The documents in question were produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which analyzes imagery and intelligence collected by US spy satellites, supporting both covert and military operations.
Mr. Rahman, who worked internationally for the CIA, is scheduled to appear in court in Guam on Thursday.
The documents contain highly classified interpretations of satellite imagery that suggest a potential Israeli strike on Iran. They began circulating on the Telegram app last month. U.S. officials have previously stated that they were unsure of the documents' origin and were investigating to identify the source of the leak.
According to court documents, Mr. Rahman had a top-secret security clearance with access to sensitive compartmentalized information, a standard level for many CIA employees who handle classified information.
The CIA declined to comment on the matter.
The FBI confirmed last month that it is investigating the leak, saying that it is "working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community."
The FBI is responsible for investigating breaches of the Espionage Act, which prohibits the unauthorized retention of defense-related information that could harm the United States or assist a foreign adversary.
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