Latest news with #classifiedleak
Russia Today
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump threatens Democrats with prosecution for leaking Iran intel
US President Donald Trump has called for the prosecution of members of the opposition he holds responsible for the leak of classified information about recent US attacks on Iran. The Pentagon struck three of Tehran's nuclear facilities last week, building on Israeli attacks earlier this month. While the Trump administration has maintained that the targets in Iran were 'obliterated,' CNN and several other news outlets on Tuesday cited a preliminary military intelligence assessment indicating only moderate damage to the facilities, despite the reported use of bunker buster bombs. 'The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran. They should be prosecuted!' Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused 'the propaganda media' of attempting to undermine the president by publishing 'illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments.' Trump accused media outlets of spreading 'fake news' about what he considers a major security success. According to Axios, the White House believes the document — produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency approximately 24 hours after the airstrikes — was leaked by individuals in Congress. The administration had shared the assessment with lawmakers late Monday using a secure system known as CAPNET, sources said. 'Go figure: Almost as soon as we put the information on CAPNET, it leaks,' an administration source told Axios. 'The intelligence community is figuring out how to tighten up their processes so we don't have 'Deep State' actors leaking parts of intel analysis that have 'low confidence' to the media,' a senior White House official said, referencing how the agency labeled its conclusions. The White House reportedly intends to reduce intelligence-sharing with the legislative branch. Several Democratic lawmakers have criticized Trump for failing to notify them about the operation in advance. The White House postponed a classified after-action Congress briefing originally set for Tuesday. The session was held Thursday, led by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Public comments afterward reflected partisan divisions. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said 'obliteration' was a fair description of the strikes. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said Trump was 'misleading the public.'
Reuters
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Ex-CIA analyst sentenced to over 3 years for leak of classified information
WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) - A former CIA analyst who pleaded guilty in January over a leak of classified Israeli plans to strike Iran was sentenced to 37 months in prison on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said. In pleading guilty, Asif William Rahman, who had worked at the U.S. intelligence agency since 2016, acknowledged that he illegally downloaded, printed and distributed classified information on multiple occasions, including several in 2024. U.S. ally Israel and its regional rival Iran were in the midst of high tensions at the time and exchanged some blows. Israel at the time was preparing to strike some Iranian sites in retaliation for a ballistic missile attack that the Iranian government said was a response to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's assassination by Israel in Tehran. Rahman had a "Top Secret" security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) until his employment was terminated after his arrest in late 2024. The documents, which entailed plans by Israel to strike Iran, later appeared online after a pro-Iranian Telegram account called "Middle East Spectator" published them. Rahman, 34, is from Vienna, Virginia, and was arrested in Cambodia, according to court records. "Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting Top Secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies," Erik Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said on Wednesday.
