Ex-CIA Employee Admits to Leaking Classified Files on Israel’s Iran Strikes
Rahman Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison for Disclosing National Defense Information
A former CIA employee has pleaded guilty to leaking highly classified documents detailing Israel’s military plans to strike Iran amid rising regional tensions linked to the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday that Asif William Rahman, 34, admitted to willfully retaining and transmitting classified national defense information. He now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, with sentencing set for May 15.
Breach of National Security
Rahman, who had been employed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since 2016 and held Top-Secret clearance, was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia in November.
“Mr. Rahman betrayed the trust of the American people by unlawfully sharing classified national defense information he swore an oath to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that the Justice Department will spare no effort to swiftly find and aggressively prosecute those who harm the United States by illegally disclosing our national security secrets.”
Leaked Documents Exposed Israel’s Military Movements
According to U.S. officials, Rahman leaked documents from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), which specializes in analyzing satellite images and intelligence used for covert U.S. military operations.
The leaked materials surfaced on a Telegram messaging app channel in October, revealing that Israel was repositioning military assets in preparation for a strike on Iran. This came after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on October 1, allegedly in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of a senior Iranian military official.
By late October, Israel had launched its own counterattack against multiple sites in Iran.
Rahman’s Actions and Legal Consequences
Court documents indicate that Rahman accessed and printed two "Top Secret" documents, removed them from CIA facilities, photographed them, and transmitted them to unauthorized recipients.
While the Justice Department has not disclosed the identities of those who received the intelligence, officials stress that Rahman’s actions compromised national security and could have had significant diplomatic and military consequences.
With his guilty plea now secured, Rahman awaits sentencing in May, where he could face up to 10 years behind bars for both counts of classified document transmission.