Pentagon probes classified documents leak on Israel’s potential strike on Iran

US President Joe Biden is "deeply concerned" about the release of classified documents detailing Israel's potential plans for a retaliatory strike against Iran, according to a White House spokesman, as reported by the Associated Press.

US officials confirmed that the administration is investigating the unauthorized release of these sensitive documents, according to the report.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby addressed the issue on Monday, stating that the administration is still uncertain whether the disclosure was due to a leak or a hack, the news report noted. The report further stated that Kirby emphasized there is no current indication of additional documents of this nature being made public, but the Pentagon is actively investigating the breach.

"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 was quoted as saying.

The documents, classified as top secret, reportedly originated from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. The report also explained that these materials provide insights into Israel's preparations for a military strike in response to Iran's ballistic missile attack on October 1.

These details were shared within the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance, comprising US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and the classified documents were posted to the Telegram messaging app, as per the report.

The first document is titled "Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Strike on Iran and Conducts a Second Large-Force Employment Exercise." It outlines activities related to the handling of ballistic and air-to-surface missiles.

The second document is named "Israel: Defense Forces Continue Key Munitions Preparations and Covert UAV Activity Almost Certainly for a Strike on Iran," referring to preparations involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones.

In response to inquiries from reporters last week, U.S. President Joe Biden indicated he has a solid understanding of when and how Israel plans to attack Iran. However, he also expressed hope for an opportunity to de-escalate the ongoing conflict between the two nations.