A CIA official has been charged with breaching the Espionage Act after allegedly leaking sensitive U.S. documents related to Israel’s plans for a military response to an Iranian missile strike earlier this year, according to court documents and sources familiar with the situation.

Asif William Rahman was indicted on November 7 in a Virginia federal court on two counts concerning the improper retention and sharing of national defense information.

Rahman was apprehended in Cambodia and subsequently flown to Guam to face a federal court. His first court appearance is set for Thursday in Guam.

The CIA has refrained from commenting on the matter, while a representative from the Justice Department also declined to provide additional insights beyond the details in the court filings.

Experts Anticipate Investigation into Leaker’s Motivations

According to the indictment, Rahman accessed a top-secret, compartmentalized document in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on October 17, and shared this information with unauthorized individuals.

This document, which circulated via the Telegram messaging platform, reportedly originated from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It contained U.S. assessments of the Israeli Air Force and Navy’s strategic preparations based on satellite imagery from October 15 and 16. Federal authorities are actively investigating the leak.

Tracy Walder, a former covert operations officer at the CIA and FBI special agent, characterized the situation as “very serious” because of Rahman’s high-security clearance level.

“His leak confirms Israel possesses nuclear weapons and reveals U.S. collection methodologies,” Walder explained.

Javed Ali, a former senior intelligence officer for multiple U.S. agencies, stated that Rahman’s arrest will likely prompt an inquiry into the leaker’s intentions and any potential associates involved in disseminating the information.

“This is not good news for the CIA,” said Ali, who is now a professor at the University of Michigan. “Who is this individual? How long have they served in that role? Were they an analyst or a case officer? What motivated them to leak sensitive information? Were they involved in intelligence operations related to Iran?”

Ali emphasized that this case highlights substantial vulnerabilities the U.S. government faces in safeguarding its most classified and politically sensitive information.

“The fact that it involves a CIA official illustrates that daily, there are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of individuals in the intelligence community and military with access to the most sensitive information this government holds,” Ali pointed out.

Background on the Israeli Strike

Israel’s military declared that it had executed a series of airstrikes on Iran in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack, raising concerns about escalating tensions in the Middle East one year after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.

Reports from Iranian state television noted loud explosions heard in Tehran, with semi-official outlets stating similar incidents in the nearby city of Karaj.

This military action by Israel followed Iran’s launch of nearly 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, which Tehran claimed was retaliation for the assassination of Hezbollah leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, by Israel. Many of the missiles were intercepted thanks to U.S. military assistance. Tragically, a Palestinian was reported killed in the West Bank.