Israeli plans for ‘potential strike on Iran’ are leaked online amid alleged US intelligence breach amid claims IDF is running training missions in preparation for retaliatory attack – but with no indication NUCLEAR weapons could be used
Israeli plans for a possible attack on Iran have been leaked online as part of an alleged US intelligence blunder.
It comes amid claims the IDF is preparing for a fierce retaliatory strike in response to rising military tensions – but there is no indication nuclear weapons will be used.
A pair of supposedly “top secret” documents reveal that the IDF has moved missiles and organized aircraft training exercises – including air-to-air combat and search and rescue operations.
Although the papers have yet to be verified, US officials have not denied their authenticity after they circulated on social media, with one person saying the leak is “very concerning.”
The news comes just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was targeted in an alleged attempted assassination with a drone.
Last September, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the operation against the militant group Hezbollah and the assassination of Hamas leaders.
Israel’s anger intensified yesterday when Tehran made an alleged assassination attempt in the form of a drone carrying explosives to Netanyahu’s family home.
Israel last night accused Tehran of an assassination attempt after a drone packed with explosives was launched at the childhood home of Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured in a defiant video that told viewers: ‘I am proud of you’
Aftermath of a rocket fired into Haifa from Lebanon on Saturday
Black smoke rises over Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel launched attacks on Hezbollah’s main stronghold and the southern city of Nabtaiyeh, where the country holds sway, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a ceasefire.
The report leak occurred on Friday when the Middle East Spectator Telegram channel claimed it had received documents on Israeli attack preparations from a source within the US intelligence community.
These documents are marked top secret and carry markings indicating that they are intended to be seen only by the US and its ‘Five Eyes’ allies: Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Documents include an alleged report from the U.S. Department of Defense visual intelligence, which was circulated within the U.S. intelligence community three days earlier.
The report details alleged recent actions at Israeli Air Force (IAF) bases, including the movement of advanced munitions believed to be intended for an attack on Iran.
It also noted that intelligence received indicated that the IAF conducted a fighter jet and drone exercise this week as part of its attack preparations.
“If it is true that Israeli tactical plans to respond to Iran’s attack on October 1 were leaked, that is a serious breach,” said Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and a retired CIA -officer.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday issued a rallying cry following the death of Yahya Sinwar, vowing: ‘Hamas is alive and will remain alive’
President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 25, 2024
Civil defense teams and Palestinian residents extinguish the fire and search and rescue efforts at the Al-Salhi family home following Israeli attacks on the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza City, Gaza on October 15, 2024
Mulroy added that “future coordination between the US and Israel could also be tested. Trust is a key component of the relationship, and depending on how this is leaked, that trust could be eroded.”
One of the documents also suggests that Israel has nuclear weapons – something the state has never publicly confirmed. It adds that the US has not seen any indication that Israel plans to use a nuclear weapon against Iran.
The leak is “very concerning,” a US official told CNN.
Neither the Israeli prime minister nor his wife Sara were present at the property in the coastal town of Caesarea, between Tel Aviv and Haifa, when the plane was launched from Lebanon as part of the assassination attempt in the early hours yesterday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, USA, September 27, 2024
The attack is believed to have taken place on a building near Netanyahu’s large, white-brick home.
The alleged attempt marked a period of heightened tensions in the region, with Israeli officials condemning Iran and Hezbollah, which Iran supports, for the attempt on Netanyahu’s life.
Israel continued its bombardment of the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza last night, while Lebanese state media reported fresh attacks on a Hezbollah stronghold near Beirut after the Israeli army ordered residents to leave the capital.
It came two days after Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 massacre last year that left 1,200 dead and sparked an escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.
Last night Netanyahu said: “The agents of Iran who tried to kill me and my wife today made a bitter mistake.
“This will not stop me and the State of Israel from continuing the war against our enemies, taking our security for generations.
“I say to the Iranians and their partners in the axis of evil: anyone who harms the State of Israel will pay a high price.”
More than 40,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured in the war against enemies in Gaza.