37 months in prison for ex-CIA analyst who leaked docs on Israeli strike
Asif Rahman, 34, who worked for the Central Intelligence Agency since 2016 and held a top secret security clearance, was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia in November.
In January, Rahman pleaded guilty at a federal courthouse in Virginia to two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information.
He faced a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
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 responded with a wave of strikes on military targets in Iran in late October.
According to a court filing, on October 17 Rahman printed out two top secret documents "regarding a United States foreign ally and its planned kinetic actions against a foreign adversary."
He photographed the documents and used a computer program to edit the images in "an attempt to conceal their source and delete his activity," it said.
Rahman then transmitted the documents to "multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them" before shredding them at work.
The documents, circulated on the Telegram app by an account called Middle East Spectator, described Israeli preparations for a possible strike on Iran but did not identify any actual targets.
According to The Washington Post, the documents, generated by the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, described aviation exercises and movements of munitions at an Israeli airfield.
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One passenger survives London-bound Air India plane crash at Ahmedabad
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The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran is not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Tehran later this year. Iran immediately responded to the International Atomic Energy Agency board's vote, stating that it will establish a new enrichment facility. The announcement said the facility will be 'in a secure location". 'The Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution,' the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said in a joint statement. Nineteen countries on the IAEA's board, which represents the agency's member nations, voted for the resolution, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-door vote. Russia, China and Burkina Faso opposed it, 11 abstained ,and two did not vote. In the draft resolution seen by media outlets, the board of governors renews a call on Iran to provide answers 'without delay' in a long-running investigation into uranium traces found at several locations that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites. Western officials suspect that the uranium traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003. France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States proposed the resolution. In Brussels, the European Commission expressed support for the text and called on Iran to "restore full cooperation with the agency and fully implement its obligations". "We call on Iran to show restraint and avoid any step that would further escalate the situation," a Commission spokesperson said on Thursday afternoon. The vote comes at a sensitive time, as tensions in the region have been rising. 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The draft resolution makes a direct reference to the US-Iran talks, stressing its 'support for a diplomatic solution to the problems posed by the Iranian nuclear program, including the talks between the United States and Iran, leading to an agreement that addresses all international concerns related to Iran's nuclear activities, encouraging all parties to constructively engage in diplomacy.' This article has been updated to reflect the European Commission's reaction.
Euronews
33 minutes ago
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Israel deports Greta Thunberg and activists aboard Gaza aid boat
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Upon her arrival in Paris – while on her way back to her home country of Sweden – Thunberg urged for the release of the other activists who were taken into custody aboard the Madleen flotilla. She characterised the situation during their detention as "quite chaotic and uncertain." The conditions they faced 'are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now," she added. The trip was meant to protest Israeli restrictions on aid to Gaza's population of over 2 million people after 20 months of war, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey. "We were well aware of the risks of this mission," Thunberg noted. 'The aim was to get to Gaza and to be able to distribute the aid.' She said the activists would continue trying to get aid into the enclave and breach what she called an unjust siege. On Monday, US President Donald Trump called Thunberg 'strange' and 'a young angry person' and recommended she take anger management classes. "I think the world need a lot more young angry women," Thunberg said Tuesday in response to Trump, who she's clashed with online on previous occasions. She also asserted that some of the activists detained experienced difficulties in contacting their lawyers. Asked why she agreed to deportation, she said, 'Why would I want to stay in an Israeli prison more than necessary?' The activist urged her supporters to demand their governments not only allow humanitarian aid into Gaza but, more crucially, to seek an end to the occupation and to the ongoing systemic oppression and violence that Palestinians endure daily. She added that recognition of a Palestinian state is the absolute minimum governments around the world can do to help. Thunberg was among 11 other passengers aboard the Madleen. Early Monday, Israeli naval forces captured the vessel without any incident approximately 200 kilometres from Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, in conjunction with various rights organisations, stated that Israel's actions in international waters constitute a violation of international law. Israel however denies this accusation, asserting that these ships aim to violate what it claims is a legitimate naval blockade of the territory. The group said three activists, including Thunberg, had been deported. A journalist who was on board the vessel was also released and deported back to Paris. Sabine Haddad, a spokesperson for Israel's Interior Ministry, stated that the activists deported on Tuesday waved their rights to present their case before a judge. She added that all the remaining passengers aboard the Madleen will be held in detention for 96-hours prior, where they will be presented before a judge and their deportations scheduled for after the hearing. Syria will need "substantial international" support for its efforts to rehabilitate the economy, meet urgent humanitarian needs and rebuild essential institutions and infrastructure, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday. Since interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa led an insurgency that ousted the authoritarian leader Bashar al-Assad in December, countries have gradually begun restoring ties with Syria, with some lifting sanctions in a bid to kickstart the economy. During a five-day visit by the IMF in early June, the first to Syria by the 191-country lending organisation since 2009, its team met with officials from the public and private sectors, notably the finance minister and central bank governor. "Syria faces enormous challenges following years of conflict that caused immense human suffering and reduced its economy to a fraction of its former size," the IMF said. "While the years of conflict and displacement have weakened administrative capacity, staff at the finance ministry and central bank demonstrated strong commitment and solid understanding." Around 6 million people are estimated to have fled Syria during more than a decade of civil war and the United Nations estimates that 90% of those who stayed lived in poverty and relied on humanitarian aid to survive. Half a million people were killed in the conflict. Damascus now anticipates investments and business projects with Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others, as they re-establish flight paths and hold high-level political and economic meetings. US President Donald Trump said that Washington will lift decades-long sanctions against Syria, but it is unclear how long that process could take. The European Union and the United Kingdom have also eased some restrictions. Meanwhile, oil-rich nations Saudi Arabia and Qatar paid of Syria's debt to the World Bank, valued at nearly $15 billion (€13 billion). The IMF said it is developing a roadmap for Syria's policy and capacity building priorities for key economic institutions, including the finance ministry, central bank and statistics agency. But Syria has a laundry list of reforms it must undertake, including improving its tax collection system, making sure its national budget can pay public sector salaries and basic healthcare and education, empowering the central bank to take measures to bring back confidence to the local currency and rehabilitate its outdated and battered banking system in line with international standards. In 2017, the United Nations estimated that rebuilding Syria would cost about $250 billion (€218 billion). Since al-Assad was overthrown at the end of last year, some experts say that number could be as high as $400 billion (€350 billion).
Euronews
33 minutes ago
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Explosions heard in Iran's capital as Israel claims preemptive strikes
Explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, as Israel claimed it was attacking the country. Iranian state media reported explosions in the northeastern parts of the city. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme. The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones. Israel for years has warned it will not allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon, something Tehran insists it doesn't want — though official there have repeatedly warned it could. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a 'special situation' in the country following the attacks. He said schools would be closed nationwide on Friday, adding that an Iranian retaliation of missiles and drones are to be expected in the 'immediate future'. There was no immediate word from Israeli officials on what was struck or was being targeted. A US media outlet says US President Donald Trump has reportedly convened his cabinet for an emergency meeting following the Israeli attack. The White House did not officially address the attack. As the explosions in Tehran started, Trump was on the lawn of the White House mingling with members of Congress. It was unclear if he had been informed but the president continued shaking hands and posing for pictures for several minutes. In the days leading up to the attacks, Washington has made clear that it will not participate in any Israeli attacks on Iran. Trump had urged Israel to refrain from striking Tehran, and to seek diplomatic solutions, but acknowledged that an Israeli strike could very well happen. The US has been preparing for something to happen, already pulling some diplomats from Iraq's capital, Baghdad, and offering voluntary evacuations for the families of US troops in the wider Middle East region. Our journalists are working on this story and will update it as soon as more information becomes available. Egypt blocked activists planning to take part in a march to Gaza on Thursday, halting their attempt to reach the border and challenge Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid to the enclave before the march could begin. Egyptian authorities and activists both said that dozens of people planning to march across the Sinai Peninsula were deported, but organisers said they had no plans to cancel the event. To draw attention to the humanitarian crisis afflicting people in Gaza, marchers have for months planned to trek about 50 kilometres from the city of Arish to Egypt's border with Gaza on Sunday to "create international moral and media pressure" to open the crossing at Rafah and lift a blockade that has prevented aid from entering. They said they had tried to coordinate with Egyptian embassies in the various countries from which the participants came, but authorities said they had not obtained authorisation for the march. Authorities deported more than three dozen activists, mostly carrying European passports, upon their arrival at Cairo International Airport in the past two days, an Egyptian official said on Thursday. The official said the activists aimed to travel to Northern Sinai "without obtaining required authorisations." The standoff has put pressure on the activists' home countries, which are wary of seeing their citizens detained. A French diplomatic official said France is in "close contact" with Egyptian authorities about French nationals who were refused entry in Egypt or detained to ensure "consular protection." The participants risked arrest for unauthorised demonstrations in sensitive areas like the Sinai Peninsula, the official added. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the sensitive diplomatic matter. Egypt has publicly denounced the restrictions on aid entering Gaza and repeatedly called for an end to the war. It has said that the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing remains open, but access to the Strip has been blocked since Israel seized the Palestinian side of the border as part of its war with Hamas that began in October 2023. However, authorities have for years clamped down on dissidents and activists when their criticism touches on Cairo's political and economic ties with Israel, a sensitive issue in neighbouring countries where governments maintain diplomatic relations with Israel despite broad public sympathy for Palestinians. Egypt had earlier warned that only those who received authorisation would be allowed to travel the planned march route, acknowledging it had received "numerous requests and inquiries." "Egypt holds the right to take all necessary measures to preserve its national security, including the regulation of the entry and movement of individuals within its territory, especially in sensitive border areas," its foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, yesterday referred to the protestors as "jihadists" and called on Egypt to prevent them from reaching the border with Gaza. He said they "endanger the Egyptian regime and constitute a threat to all moderate Arab regimes in the region." The march was set to begin just days after a large convoy, which organisers said included thousands of activists, travelled overland across North Africa to Egypt. Activists and attorneys said airport detentions and deportations began on Wednesday with no explicit reason given by Egyptian authorities to detainees. Algerian attorney Fatima Rouibi wrote on Facebook that Algerians, including three lawyers, were detained at the airport on Wednesday before being released and ultimately deported back to Algiers on Thursday. Bilal Nieh, a Tunisian activist who lives in Germany, said he was deported along with seven others from northern Africa who also hold European passports. Organisers said in a statement that they had received reports that at least 170 participants had been delayed or detained in Cairo. They said they had followed the protocols laid out by Egyptian authorities, met with them and urged them to let march participants into the country. "We look forward to providing any additional information the Egyptian authorities require to ensure the march continues peacefully as planned to the Rafah border," they said in a statement. The Global March to Gaza is the latest civil society effort pressing for the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies and other aid into Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade in March in an attempt to pressure Hamas to disarm and to release hostages taken in the 7 October 2023 attack that sparked the current war in Gaza. It slightly eased restrictions last month, allowing limited aid in, but experts warn the measures fall far short. Food security experts warn the Gaza Strip will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a leading international authority. Israel has rejected the findings, saying the IPC's previous forecasts had proven unfounded.
