Pentagon official of Iranian origin reportedly linked to intel leak to Tehran

The Pentagon has reportedly identified Ariane Tabatabai, Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, as the primary suspect in an alleged leak of classified documents, according to a senior Pentagon official cited by Sky News Arabia on Tuesday.

Tabatabai, an American of Iranian descent, also serves as an officer in U.S. Naval Intelligence. Her position grants her access to all naval movements and special forces operations worldwide, particularly in the Middle East.

FBI launches investigation

Reports indicate that members of Congress wrote to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 2023, urging him to suspend Tabatabai’s security clearance pending further investigation. They referenced previous actions taken by the State Department against her former supervisor, Robert Malley.

The FBI has launched an investigation into the leak of two highly classified intelligence documents detailing Israel’s preparations for a retaliatory strike against Iran, as reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday.

The FBI stated it is collaborating closely with partners in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community and emphasized that no further comments would be made as the investigation is ongoing.

Last week, two U.S. intelligence documents reportedly revealing Israel’s plans for a potential retaliatory attack on Iran were leaked and circulated on a Telegram channel, which claimed to have obtained the documents from a source within the U.S. intelligence community.

In response to the incident, the U.S. government is conducting an investigation, with House Speaker Mike Johnson expressing that the situation is “very concerning.” Meanwhile, Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s October 1 attack, during which the Islamic Republic launched approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.