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A top US official said President Biden is ‘deeply concerned’ about the leak of US intelligence assessments related to Israel.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Over the weekend, leaked documents were posted on a pro-Iranian Telegram account, revealing highly classified US intelligence about Israel’s preparations for a potential military strike against Iran following an Iranian missile attack on October 1. These top-secret documents, intended only for the US and its ‘Five Eyes’ allies, revealed Israel’s movement of munitions and air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles, both seen as preparations for the strike. The documents also suggested that Israel may possess nuclear weapons, a capability Israel has never publicly confirmed.
What’s going on now: White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby said the intelligence community was working to “determine the manner in which they did become public.” He added, “At this point, we’ll let the investigation pursue its logical course there. We’re deeply concerned, and the president remains deeply concerned, about any leakage of classified information into the public domain. That is not supposed to happen, and it’s unacceptable when it does.”
Kirby also said that President Biden would personally keep up to date with how the documents leaked and would “be very interested in hearing any mitigation measures and recommendations that come as a result of the investigative efforts and how to prevent it from happening again.”
This development comes as Israel is reportedly preparing a retaliatory strike following Iran’s ballistic missile attack on October 1. US officials believe Israel is unlikely to target Iranian nuclear or oil sites—actions President Biden has previously warned against—though some Israeli news outlets report that Israel may not be sharing its complete operational plans with the US.