‘Betrayal – CIA analyst gets 3 years for Israel-Iran intel leak

A former CIA analyst is headed to prison for leaking intel on Israel’s planned response to an Iranian missile attack.

By Lauren Marcus, world Israel News Staff

A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst who leaked sensitive information about Israel preparing a response to the October 2024 Iranian missile attack was sentenced to three years and a month in prison on Wednesday.

Asif William Rahman, 34, leveraged his security clearance to download classified CIA documents, which noted that Israel appeared to be preparing for a retaliatory strike on Iran.

The information was posted on social media platforms, forcing Israel to delay its strike. According to the investigation, Rahman had attempted to cover his tracks by deleting evidence that he had searched for the documents within the CIA’s internal system.

In January 2025, Rahman pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it.

“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,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a Department of Justice media statement.

“The urgency with which Mr. Rahman was identified, arrested, charged, and prosecuted is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of the investigators and prosecutors who brought him to justice,” Seibert continued.

“This case should serve as a stern warning to those who choose to place their own goals over their allegiance to our nation.”

Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division said that Rahman had “betrayed his oath as a government employee and his responsibility to the American people.”

Rozhavksy added that Rahman will “pay the price for putting American lives and U.S. national security at risk. Let this be a warning to all clearance holders: The FBI will exhaust all avenues to find and bring to justice anyone — no matter who they are — who endangers our nation by disclosing sensitive information without authorization.”