Biden ‘concerned’ about release of files on Israel’s plans to strike Iran

White House says the evident leak of concealed US assessments connected Israel’s preparations for the onslaught is ‘unacceptable’.

The White House says United States President Joe Biden is “deeply concerned” astir the evident leak of US authorities documents outlining quality assessments astir Israel’s preparations to onslaught Iran.

Washington is not definite however the documents posted connected the societal media platform Telegram past week were made public, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters connected Monday.

It is unclear whether the files were leaked oregon hacked.

“The president remains profoundly acrophobic astir immoderate leakage of classified accusation into the nationalist domain. That is not expected to hap and it’s unacceptable erstwhile it does,” Kirby said.

The classified documents see an investigation of satellite imagery of Israeli subject activities.

The files said the Israeli subject “handled” air-launched ballistic missiles – which are fired from an craft – and conducted covert drone activities earlier this period “almost certainly” for a onslaught connected Iran.

But the assessment, which appears to person been prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, added that the investigation cannot “definitively foretell the standard and scope”.

Several US media outlets cited anonymous US officials saying the concealed documents look authentic.

The files archetypal appeared connected the Telegram transmission Middle East Spectator, which publishes quality and commentary astir the region. The relationship shares messages that enactment Iran and its allies, but has refuted claims of ties to the authorities successful Tehran.

Investigation underway

US House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed connected Sunday that an probe into however the documents became nationalist is “underway, ” saying helium volition person a briefing connected the matter.

The US has seen large leaks of concealed government documents successful caller years, including classified subject quality assessments that surfaced online successful 2023, with the merchandise being blamed connected a US National Guard airman.

On Friday, Biden expressed optimism astir the chances of containing tensions betwixt Iran and Israel, saying that determination is an “opportunity” to halt the back-and-forth attacks betwixt the 2 countries.

Israel is wide believed to beryllium preparing an battle against Iran, and Tehran has vowed to respond to immoderate caller attack. “I americium alert of however Israel plans to respond and the timing,” Biden told reporters connected a travel to Germany past week, but refrained from elaborating.

Biden has not revealed immoderate diplomatic inaugural to halt the struggle from spiralling.

Iran had fired a barrage of missiles astatine subject targets successful Israel connected October 1 successful retaliation for the sidesplitting of Hamas main Ismail Haniyeh successful Tehran and the assassinations of Hezbollah person Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian wide successful Beirut.

Biden antecedently suggested that helium opposes an Israeli onslaught connected Iranian atomic oregon lipid facilities.

Asked connected Friday whether helium understands however and erstwhile Israel volition respond, Biden said: “Yes and yes.”

Anybody with cognition oregon knowing of "how and erstwhile Israel was going to onslaught Iran", and/or providing the means and backing for specified folly, should logically beryllium held accountable for immoderate imaginable causality.https://t.co/aLyJDw1NGp

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) October 18, 2024

His comments sparked choler successful Iran.

“Anybody with cognition oregon knowing of ‘how and erstwhile Israel was going to onslaught Iran’, and/or providing the means and backing for specified folly, should logically beryllium held accountable for immoderate imaginable causality,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote connected societal media successful effect to Biden’s remarks.

On Monday, Iran’s Tasnim quality bureau quoted a subject root arsenic saying that the Iranian effect to immoderate Israeli onslaught would beryllium “decisive” and “beyond the estimates of Zionists”.

Earlier this month, the Biden medication expanded sanctions connected Iran’s lipid and petrochemical sectors implicit the rocket launches against Israel.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies