CIA Official Asif William Rahman Charged with Leaking Classified Israel-Iran Strike Plans

Asif William Rahman, a 34-year-old CIA official, has been arrested and charged with two counts of unlawfully transmitting national defense information. According to court documents, Rahman held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance, which is standard for many CIA staff dealing with classified data.

Rahman was apprehended by the FBI in Cambodia and is set to appear in a federal court in Guam. The charges stem from the leak of classified documents detailing Israel‘s preparations for a potential strike on Iran. These documents, attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), were reportedly intended for restricted circulation within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

The leaked documents outlined Israeli air force drills and munitions preparations, as well as covert unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) activity, all believed to be part of preparations for a strike on Iran. This leak occurred in the context of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, following a series of ballistic missile attacks by Iran on October 1 and subsequent Israeli airstrikes in late October.

The FBI investigation into the leak examined whether it was an intentional act by a member of the U.S. intelligence community or if the documents were obtained through another method, such as a hack. The investigation also aimed to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted on the Telegram messaging app.

Rahman’s arrest follows other recent cases of security breaches within U.S. intelligence, including the sentencing of Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira to 15 years in prison for leaking sensitive information related to the war in Ukraine.