A CIA officer has been indicted for allegedly leaking sensitive U.S. documents related to Israel’s possible plans to respond to an Iranian missile attack. Asif Rahman, a CIA operative with overseas assignments, was charged last week in federal court in Virginia on two counts of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information. The charges fall under the Espionage Act, which prohibits the illegal handling of information that could endanger U.S. national security or benefit a foreign nation, reports National Review.
Rahman, who held top security clearance, allegedly had access to classified intelligence, including detailed satellite images prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. These images reportedly outlined Israeli military plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran after Tehran’s missile assault on October 1. The documents, initially circulated online by a pro-Iranian Telegram account, represent a major breach of U.S. intelligence, especially as they were limited to officials within the U.S. and the Five Eyes alliance countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K.
Federal agents arrested Rahman on Tuesday in Cambodia and subsequently transported him to Guam, where he is set to appear in court on Thursday. The FBI, which investigates Espionage Act violations, opened a probe into the leak after the classified documents began circulating last month, noting that the leaks could have significant repercussions for U.S. intelligence efforts and alliances.
