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Asif Rahman, who worked overseas, was arrested on Tuesday by the F.B.I. and faces two counts of violating the Espionage Act.
A C.I.A. official has been charged with disclosing classified documents that appeared to show Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack earlier this year, according to court documents and people familiar with the matter.
The official, Asif W. Rahman, was indicted last week in federal court in Virginia on two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act. He was arrested by the F.B.I. on Tuesday in Cambodia and was set to appear in federal court in Guam on Thursday.
The leak offered a glimpse into the depth of American concerns about Israel’s plans and illustrated the extent to which the United States spies on even its closest allies.
The documents, dated mid-October, were prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which analyzes images and information collected by U.S. spy satellites. It conducts work in support of clandestine and military operations.
The information in the documents is highly classified and details interpretations of satellite imagery that shed light on a possible strike by Israel on Iran, including the type of missiles, planes and other aircraft its military could use.
They began circulating last month on the Telegram app. U.S. officials have previously said that they did not know where the documents had been taken from, and that they were looking for the original source of the leak.
Officials had indicated that the documents were not exhaustive and showed only what analysts scrutinizing satellite imagery could glean at that moment in time.
Mr. Rahman worked abroad for the C.IA., and court documents said he held a top-secret security clearance with access to sensitive compartmented information, which is typical for many C.I.A. employees who handle classified materials.
The C.I.A. declined to comment.
The F.B.I. acknowledged last month that it was investigating the leak, saying that it was “working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community.”
The bureau is responsible for investigating violations of the Espionage Act, which outlaws the unauthorized retention of defense-related information that could harm the United States or aid a foreign adversary.
Julie Tate contributed research.
Adam Goldman writes about the F.B.I. and national security. He has been a journalist for more than two decades. More about Adam Goldman
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