News | Business
9 Feb 2025 2:34
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Business

    Former CIA analyst pleads guilty to leaking info on planned Israeli attack on Iran

    A former CIA official has pleaded guilty to leaking top secret US intelligence documents about Israeli plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran.


    A former CIA official has pleaded guilty to leaking top secret US intelligence documents on a planned Israeli attack on Iran.

    Asif Rahman was arrested by the FBI in November weeks after classified documents appeared on the Telegram messaging app.

    The 34-year-old worked for the Central Intelligence Agency since 2016 and held a top secret security clearance.

    Rahman faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a federal court in Virginia to two counts of wilful retention and transmission of national defence information.

    Top secret documents printed out, court filing says

    Iran unleashed a wave of close to 200 ballistic missiles on Israel on October 1 in retaliation for the killings of senior figures in the Tehran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups.

    Israel retaliated with a wave of strikes on military targets in Iran in late October.

    According to a court filing, Rahman printed out two top secret documents "regarding a United States foreign ally and its planned kinetic actions against a foreign adversary" on October 17. 

    The filing said he photographed the documents and used a computer program to edit the images in "an attempt to conceal their source and delete his activity".

    Rahman then allegedly transmitted the documents to "multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them" before shredding them at work.

    The filing added that "Rahman also destroyed multiple electronic devices, including a personal mobile device and an internet router he used to transmit classified information" and discarded the devices in public trash bins.

    Two documents that surfaced on Telegram in October noted that Israel was still moving military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran's blistering ballistic missile attack on October 1.

    High school valedictorian, Yale student 

    He was born in California and moved with his family when he was a child to Cincinnati, where he was a high school valedictorian, according to court papers submitted by his lawyer. 

    He went to Yale University and graduated in three years. 

    Assistant Attorney-General Matthew Olsen said in a statement that "Mr Rahman betrayed the trust of the American people by unlawfully sharing classified national defence information he swore an oath to protect".

    The documents were shareable within the "Five Eyes," which are the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

    AFP/AP


    ABC




    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

     Other Business News
     08 Feb: A construction analyst claims Kainga Ora paid three times the market price for a dozen Canterbury units
     07 Feb: Food Safety New Zealand has given Chelsea Sugar a stark warning - for making and selling almost one-thousand tonnes of lead-contaminated sugar products
     07 Feb: Uncertainty as to whether youth unemployment will come down in the second half of the year
     07 Feb: How Trump's tariffs on China delivered a 'double-whammy' to Temu and Shein
     06 Feb: It's been a busy first half for one of the Wellington Phoenix's Japanese imports ... and the Video Assistant Referee ... in their A-League football home game against the Brisbane Roar
     06 Feb: Kiwifruit growers are hoping to make the most of a new variety
     06 Feb: KiwiRail and Fonterra are celebrating a full return of rail volume to Northland
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Defending champion Hamish Elliott has made a strong start to the Coast To Coast multisport event traversing the South Island More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    A construction analyst claims Kainga Ora paid three times the market price for a dozen Canterbury units More...



     Today's News

    Living & Travel:
    A Hamiltonian's just become a multi-millionaire, winning $10.5 million in tonight's Lotto draw 21:56

    Law and Order:
    A manhunt's underway, after a stabbing in Auckland's Titirangi 21:36

    International:
    Critics Choice Awards red carpet: Ariana Grande, Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña and more 21:06

    Accident and Emergency:
    A motorcyclist's died following a crash in Parikino, northeast of Whanganui this afternoon 20:46

    Environment:
    Firefighters have contained a grass fire in Hunua, southeast of Auckland 19:27

    Politics:
    A former SPCA worker has been awarded $29,000 in compensation and back pay 18:57

    Rugby League:
    Tohu Harris has explained why the decision to retire from rugby league was taken out of his hands 18:47

    Skiing:
    Australia completes remarkable clean sweep of aerials podium at FIS Freestyle World Cup event in Deer Valley 18:47

    Accident and Emergency:
    A person's died on Bay of Plenty's Maketu Beach 18:07

    Cycling:
    Alex Hunt has the lead in the final bike leg of the men's Coast to Coast Longest Day event 17:07


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd