Saturday afternoon saw the disturbing revelation that highly classified U.S. intelligence regarding Israel's plans for retaliation against Iran had been leaked and found its way onto Telegram. Streiff brought us the initial report:
A Telegram account with ties to the Tehran regime posted highly classified US intelligence about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran on Friday. The Middle East Spectator included a report by the Department of Defense "detailing operations carried out in recent days at several Israeli air force bases, including the transfer of advanced munitions that the report said were intended for attacks on Iran." According to CNN, one person in the intelligence community confirmed the authenticity of the documents, thereby raising the level of seriousness of the breach.
For added context:
The information was from one of the most compartmented areas, the so-called Five Eyes—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. This information was not shared with NATO or with regional allies. The Biden regime is trying to downplay the significance but is not doing a great job: Another US official said, "These two documents are bad, but not horrible. The concern is if there are more.”
That news came right on the heels of a drone attack that hit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home earlier on Saturday. Fortunately, the prime minister and his wife, Sara, were not at home at the time of the attack, and no injuries were reported.
WATCH: Netanyahu's Video Message After Drones Hit His Home in Assassination Attempt
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), reacting to the news of the drone attack, took to X/Twitter on Saturday to express his concerns and confirm he had spoken with the prime minister.
I spoke with my friend Prime Minister @Netanyahu today, and I am happy to report he is safe, in good spirits, and undeterred.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 19, 2024
I told him America stands strong with Israel and reiterated our ongoing commitment to help counter Iran and its terrorist proxies.
This is a crucial… https://t.co/G4w2nqXSDC
I spoke with my friend Prime Minister @Netanyahu today, and I am happy to report he is safe, in good spirits, and undeterred.
I told him America stands strong with Israel and reiterated our ongoing commitment to help counter Iran and its terrorist proxies.
This is a crucial moment and America must deliver. It is vital that the Biden-Harris Administration stop slow-walking needed weapons to Israel and implement the sanctions on Iran that Congress enacted this spring.
It might be interesting to note that while both Johnson and former President Donald Trump spoke with Netanyahu after the attack, neither President Joe Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris has done so as of this writing. Neither has released a formal statement nor commented on X/Twitter regarding the attack (or the intel leak).
On Sunday, Johnson joined Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union" and blasted the reported leak, indicating that he will be receiving a classified briefing on the leak later in the day.
“The leak is very concerning. There’s some serious allegations being made there, an investigation underway, and I’ll get a briefing on that in a couple of hours. We’re following it closely.”
Johnson added:
“I talked to my friend … Prime Minister Netanyahu, yesterday to encourage him. I think that the United States needs to stand unequivocally by our ally there… we’re on a precipice… of a new era of security and freedom for Israel. And I think we’re very close.”
Johnson's exchange with Tapper on the topic may be viewed here:
.@SpeakerJohnson tells @jaketapper “I think we're very close, I hope, I pray, to ending that conflict" in Gaza and says “now is the time for a maximum pressure campaign” against Iran. pic.twitter.com/nLpB3hDFBa
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 20, 2024
Per RedState Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar, a U.S. intelligence source has indicated the documents in question were leaked from the Pentagon's office of low-intensity/special operations — notably, the office where Ariane Tabatabai works.
🚨🚨 NEW: A US intelligence source tells RedState that the Top Secret documents leaked were leaked from the Pentagon's office of low intensity conflict/special operations - which is where suspected Iranian spy Ariane Tabatabai works with Christopher Maier https://t.co/tCjNmAqYwl pic.twitter.com/V7CwD08wEp
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) October 20, 2024
If Tabatabai's name seems familiar, it should. As Van Laar and Streiff have reported, numerous red flags have been raised regarding Tabatabai and Biden's special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley.
Read more: Finally Congress Is Investigating Iran Envoy Rob Malley, Whose Closest Advisors Are Linked to Tehran
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), who sits on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, also weighed in on news of the leak on X/Twitter with his takeaway from it:
It’s crystal clear: the Biden-Harris administration has been infiltrated by pro-Iranian apologists. https://t.co/LsE7nRReVN
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) October 20, 2024
Indeed. Biden's and Harris' silence on the matter thus far speaks volumes.
Editor's Note: This article was updated to include video of the exchange between Tapper and Johnson.
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