The Times reported on Thursday that Israel was forced to rewrite and postpone its plan to attack Iran after US intelligence documents outlining the plan were leaked over the weekend.
The leaked documents contain details of Israel's preparatory actions ahead of an Israeli attack on Iran, which itself launched about 200 ballistic missiles into Israeli territory on October 1. The document was suddenly leaked on pro-Iranian social media channels last week, forcing Israelis to come up with alternative plans and resulting in delays in carrying out the operation, sources familiar with the matter said. said Times. (Related: Fatigue begins to grip soldiers as Israel scores key battlefield victories)
The United States is currently investigating the leak. It is not clear who leaked the documents or how they gained access to them.
“The attack was delayed because certain strategies and elements had to be changed due to leaks of American documents,” a source familiar with Israeli plans told the Times. “There will be retribution, but it took longer than expected.”
A flight falls after Iran fires a barrage of missiles at Israel in response to the killing of Lebanese Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and other Iranian-backed militants in Ramallah, occupied West Bank, October 1, 2024. Young Palestinian men having their bodies searched (Photo by ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)
The Times said Israel changed its plans because it feared that Iran could use leaked U.S. intelligence documents to prepare for an attack. The leaked documents did not include the location of a potential attack, but detailed Israeli moves in advance, including ballistic missile preparations and drone surveillance.
It is unclear when and how Israel plans to attack Iran, but the US reportedly persuaded Israel not to attack Iran's oil and nuclear facilities, which President Joe Biden had expressed concerns about. It is being Instead, Israel is likely to target Iranian military targets.
The United States supports Israel's right to retaliate against Iran, but has broadly called for a de-escalation of tensions in the region. However, the current conflict in the Middle East, which began with Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, has only expanded to include other bad actors, such as Hezbollah.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is touring the Middle East and trying to persuade Arab officials to close their airspace to Israeli military aircraft, the Times reported. Araghchi's Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi told Araghchi that Jordan “is not a battlefield for anyone and will not allow any party to violate its sovereignty and airspace.”
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
