Ariane Tabatabai: Pentagon Official at Center of Alleged Israel-Iran Intelligence Leak

Ariane Tabatabai, an American-Iranian serving as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, has been linked to a major intelligence leak involving Israel’s potential retaliatory strike plans against Iran. Reports claim that two highly classified documents, outlining Israel’s military movements, were shared on the messaging platform Telegram. These documents, based on satellite imagery gathered by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, detail US assessments of Israeli air and naval strategies for a possible strike against Iran.

Despite these allegations, the Pentagon has strongly denied Tabatabai’s involvement, with the FBI currently leading an investigation into the leak. While some media outlets speculated about her role, others, including Fox News, criticized these claims as “irresponsible,” citing that Tabatabai still holds her top-secret security clearance and has not been contacted by investigators.

Tabatabai, who holds a PhD from King’s College London, has an extensive background in defense and intelligence, including roles at the RAND Corporation and Georgetown University. In 2023, she was scrutinized by members of Congress over alleged communications with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), but retained her position.

The FBI’s investigation continues as the situation in West Asia remains tense, with the leak emerging during a critical period in Israel-Iran relations. The Biden administration has expressed deep concern over the unauthorized release of classified information, and both US and Israeli officials are closely monitoring the investigation’s developments.