A former US government worker has been charged with leaking classified information about Israel’s past plans to strike Iran, as per court documents filed on Wednesday.
The man, named Asif William Rahman, was apprehended by the FBI this week in Cambodia and was expected to make his initial court appearance in Guam.
Rahman was indicted last week in a Virginia federal court on two counts of wilfully transmitting national defence information — serious charges that carry the possibility of lengthy prison terms.
At this time, it remains unclear whether Rahman has legal representation or which federal agency employed him, though officials have confirmed he held top-secret security clearance.
The charges relate to classified documents, reportedly from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, which surfaced last month on a Telegram messaging app channel.
The documents indicated that Israel was still positioning military resources to initiate a strike in response to Iran’s major ballistic missile attack on 1st October. Israel launched retaliatory strikes on various Iranian sites in late October.
These documents were designated for distribution within the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, which includes the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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