Former CIA agent accused of leaking information about Israeli counteroffensive against Iran pleads guilty

Asis Rahman (34), a former member of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who is accused of leaking classified information about some plans of Israel to carry out a counteroffensive against Iran, pleaded guilty Friday in a Virginia federal court.

According to court records cited by US-based ABC News, Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts of transmitting national defense information.

The former agent, who began working at the CIA in 2016, could face 13 years in prison. Sentencing will be announced on May 15.

According to the plea agreement, Rahman stated that he printed out two documents related to plans for the Israeli offensive last October and took them to his home, where through his computer he sent them to people who "were not entitled to receive them" ABC News added.

Rahman also confessed to maneuvering to conceal his involvement in the leak of the information.

According to prosecutors, the former intelligence agent deleted a large amount of data from his personal folder in the system.

Rahman worked at the US embassyin Cambodia, where he was arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and was then transferred to Guam.

During a hearing last December, prosecutor Troy Edwards said Rahman's actions were ideologically motivated, in an apparent reference to his animosity toward Israel or Jews.

The leak caused a delay in Israel's counteroffensive against Iran

The documents were leaked last month, as Israel was preparing to launch a counteroffensive against Iran in response to the nearly 200 ballistic missiles fired by the Iranians at Israeli territory last October 1.

British newspaper The Times reported days before Israel's attack, which took place on October 26, that the leak of the classified documents had postponed the Israeli counteroffensive against Iran.