Biden “deeply concerned” following leak of highly classified US intelligence, US official says
President Joe Biden is “deeply concerned” following the leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence regarding Israel’s plans to attack Iran, and he will be “actively monitoring” the investigation, according to national security spokesperson John Kirby.
“We’re deeply concerned, and 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,” Kirby said in a briefing.
He added, “You can rest assured that the President will be actively monitoring the progress of the investigation to determine how this happened. He will also be keenly interested in any mitigation measures or recommendations that arise from the inquiry.”
Kirby noted that the Department of Defense is still investigating how the documents were leaked, and there is currently no indication that further similar documents will be released.
“At this time, we have no reason to believe additional documents like this will be made public,” Kirby said.
He also confirmed that the U.S. has been in contact with Israeli officials regarding the leak but did not share details of those conversations.
Background: The leaked documents, dated October 15 and 16, began circulating online on Friday after being posted on Telegram by an account called “Middle East Spectator.” The documents, marked top secret, indicate they were intended only for U.S. officials and members of its “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
