The Federal Bureau of Investigation launched a probe into the intelligence breach that revealed Israel's plot to attack Iran in retaliation for its Oct. 1 offensive, the Jewish News Syndicate reported. The agencies have not found the source of the leak.
The FBI, along with the Department of Defense and other intelligence agencies, is investigating how this privileged information was released to the public. There's a suspicion that the purpose was to "disrupt" Israel's counterattack and reveal the intelligence-gathering methods of the U.S. and its Middle Eastern ally.
One theory was that the leak involved an insider, perhaps the Iranian-born chief of staff of the assistant secretary of defense for special operations, Ariane Tabatabai. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder denied the allegation Tuesday.
"It’s important to let the investigation run its course. To my knowledge, this official is not a subject of interest, and the department remains fully committed to supporting the investigation," Ryder said at a news conference.
As CNN reported, Israel had been planning a counterstrike after Iran's missile blitz on Oct. 1. On Friday, documents were leaked on Telegram that purported to show Israel's plan of attack to answer for the barrage of ballistics.
The documents purportedly include information gathered by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. They were to be shared only with authorized personnel in the U.S. and other "Five Eyes" nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Not only did they reveal tactical information, but one of the documents even confirmed that Israel has nuclear capabilities. This fact has been something Jerusalem has refused to disclose thus far and may have far-reaching implications.
Of course, a counterstrike was surely something Iran would have anticipated. However, the leak itself raises serious questions about the security of key information, especially since Iran already hacked U.S. intelligence agencies in August.
"If it is true that Israeli tactical plans to respond to Iran’s attack on October 1 have been leaked, it is a serious breach," Mick Mulroy, retired CIA officer and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said. When investigators pinpoint the source of the leak, they will determine the seriousness of the breach.
According to Fox News, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that his office was investigating where the leak originated. "We're not exactly sure how these documents found their way into the public domain," Kirby told reporters.
"I know the Department of Defense is investigating this. I'm just not able to answer your question whether it was a leak or a hack," Kirby added.
"At this point, we'll let the investigation pursue its logical course. We're deeply concerned, and the president remains deeply concerned about any leakage of classified information into the public domain," Kirby said of President Joe Biden.
"That is not supposed to happen. And it's unacceptable when it does. I'll let the Israelis speak to if, what, how and when they decide to take additional military action in response to Iran's Oct. 1 attack," Kirby said. "That's really for them to speak to."
A breach like this should never happen, especially regarding sensitive information shared between the U.S. and its allies. Israel will have to defend itself against Iran's aggression, but this leak has compromised that ability and possibly other future actions.
