WASHINGTON 

A former CIA analyst admitted Friday to leaking highly classified documents detailing Israel's preparations for a strike on Iran, prompting Tel Aviv to delay the operation, according to The Washington Post.

Asif W. Rahman, 34, was arrested after FBI investigators linked the leaked records to his workstation at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The documents, originating from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and marked "top secret," outlined aviation exercises and munition movements on an Israeli airfield, according to US officials cited by the Post.

The materials, posted on a Telegram channel on Oct. 20, 2024, surfaced as Tel Aviv was reportedly preparing a retaliatory strike against Iran. This followed Iran's Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack, launched in response to the July assassination of Hamas' former political leader in Tehran and the September killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

Nearly 200 missiles were fired in the salvo, which struck several locations in Israel, including a military facility, but resulted in no fatalities.

Rahman pleaded guilty in a Virginia federal court to charges under the Espionage Act and faces up to 20 years in prison, the report said.

Lawyers for both sides reportedly expect a sentence of five to six-and-a-half years under federal guidelines, though his cooperation could lead to a reduced term.

Prosecutors described Rahman’s actions as ideologically motivated, accusing him of compromising US and allied security, citing concerns that he could disclose more classified information to influence Israel's war on Gaza.

US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles set sentencing for May 15. Rahman, a Yale graduate, was taken into custody after the hearing.