The U.S. Justice Department has charged a federal employee for allegedly leaking classified intelligence regarding Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran following a missile attack.
The man, identified as Asif William Rahman, was indicted on Nov. 7 on two counts of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information, according to court documents seen by The Epoch Times.
Rahman was arrested on Nov. 12 by the FBI in Cambodia and is set for an initial court appearance in Guam. Prosecutors have requested that he be transferred to Virginia to stand trial.
The court filings didn’t specify which federal agency employed Rahman, but his indictment says he held “top secret” security clearance and had access to highly sensitive information.
The leaked files, attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, detailed how Israel was repositioning its military assets in place and how the Israeli Air Force exercises involved air-to-surface missiles. Those documents also included satellite imagery taken between Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 inside Israel.
The leak surfaced at a particularly sensitive time in U.S.–Israeli relations. If verified, the documents suggest that the United States has been closely monitoring Israel’s activity, including using surveillance satellites to track Israeli air forces’ operations.
The FBI revealed last month that it was investigating the leak, saying at the time it was “working closely” with its “partners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community.”
The White House also said it was closely watching the results of the investigation.
“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,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing.
Israel had vowed payback for the Oct. 1 attack, during which Iran launched about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, causing minor damage to military and civilian infrastructure. That was Iran’s second-ever direct attack on Israel since tensions escalated in the months after Iran-backed Hamas terrorists invaded Israel in October 2023.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes took place on Oct. 25, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducting what it called “precise” airstrikes limited to Iranian military targets, avoiding nuclear and oil facilities.
“Iran attacked Israel twice, including in locations that endangered civilians, and has paid the price for it,” IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at that time. “We are focused on our war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for a wider regional escalation.”
