US is investigating leaks of information about Israel’s plan to strike Iran in the coming days

The US has launched an investigation into the leak of two purported intelligence documents detailing Israeli preparations for a potential strike on Iran in the coming days.

The documents, seen by The Telegraph, include interpretations of satellite imagery that appears to have been recently produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and analyzes information collected by US spy satellites and the National Security Agency.

They were marked “top secret”, dated October 15 and 16, and were distributed on Friday evening on the Telegram messaging app.

One document states that Israel continues to train munitions and covert drone activities, while another describes Israeli Air Force exercises involving ballistic and air-to-surface missiles.

Both say the actions are believed to be preparation for a strike on Iran.

“We cannot accurately predict the size and scope of an attack on Iran, and such an attack could occur without further GEOINT warning,” one of the documents warns.

GEOINT is a military acronym for geospatial intelligence, which relies primarily on satellite imagery but can also include signal interception.

The document adds: “We have observed no indication that Israel intends to use nuclear weapons,” and says the recent dispersal of Israeli Jericho II intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which are believed to have been designed as nuclear weapons delivery systems, is likely was of a defensive nature.

The notes provide an “assessment of US events.”

The United States does not publicly acknowledge the existence of Israel’s nuclear arsenal, the existence of which Israel itself has never admitted.

The second document describes two major Israeli Air Force exercises involving tanker and early warning aircraft.

The Telegram channel, which was initially accused of leaking the documents, said the documents initially appeared in a separate private group with 7,000 members.

“We also reiterate that we have no connection with the original source, who we believe is a DoD whistleblower,” the statement said. In a separate statement, the Telegram group said the acquaintance received the documents through an anonymous source.

The group says it is run by independent journalists and is not “associated with Iran,” but calls the Israeli government the “Zionist regime” and uses Tehran as its starting point.

The New York Times reported that since Friday, the documents have been discussed primarily by pro-Iranian Telegram accounts.

The documents do not appear to be a comprehensive assessment of Israeli intentions, but rather an assessment of US events on the dates indicated.

Israeli retaliation against Iran has been expected since Iran launched its own retaliatory attack on October 1, firing 200 ballistic missiles at Israeli targets in at least two waves.

The Iranian attack was a response to the killings of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

“Deeply disturbing”

US officials have acknowledged that the documents are genuine, The New York Times reports.

The government is reportedly investigating who had access to the alleged secret documents.

“The leak is very worrying. There are serious allegations being made, an investigation is underway, and I will have a briefing on this matter in a couple of hours,” Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, said on CNN’s State of the Union. “We are monitoring this closely.”

Two years ago, a major leak of classified materials appeared on Discord, including details of the Ukrainian order of battle. It was one of the largest leaks of government secrets in US history.

US President Joe Biden said Friday during a visit to Germany that he has a good understanding of how and when Israel plans to respond to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.

US officials told CNN the leaks were “deeply concerning,” although they privately acknowledged they were true to the New York Times.

The US is reportedly investigating who had access to the alleged secret documents.

Two years ago, a major leak of classified material appeared on Discord, which was made public last year. It was one of the largest leaks of government secrets in US history.

US President Joe Biden said Friday during a visit to Germany that he has a good understanding of how and when Israel plans to respond to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.

The remarks were the first time the US indicated that it had reached an agreement with Israel on the nature of retaliation. Biden has previously said he opposes Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and oil facilities.

On Sunday evening, the IDF said it intended to target financial institutions linked to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon.