Spy games: Secret cables reveal Iran's collaboration with former CIA agent

A report jointly published by the Intercept and the New York Times revealed an unprecedented inside view of Tehran's vast influence in Iraq.

An anonymous source, who declined to meet with a reporter in person and communicated with the Intercept over encrypted channels, said that they leaked the documents because they wanted to "let the world know what Iran is doing in my country Iraq."

The 700 pages of leaked documents contain an archive of secret Iranian intelligence cables written mainly in 2014 and 2015 by officers of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

It also shows how the United States and Iran used Iraq as a stage for their spy games.

According to the reports, Iran moved quickly to recruit abandoned CIA informants to its payroll after the U.S. withdrew its forces from Iraq.

For example, an Iraqi CIA informant code named “Donnie Brasco” defected to the Iranians in November 2014 after working with his American handlers for six years.

"Once on Iran's side, the Iranian agent reportedly gave up key American intelligence information, including the location of CIA safe houses, hotels where the CIA met with agents, the names of other Iraqis working with American intelligence, and information on weapons and surveillance. The informant reportedly swore an oath on the Quran where he promised to stop working with the US," the report said.

The documents also showed that the informant was later registered in the Iranian files as “Source 134992.”

According to the documents, many of Iraq’s prominant political, military, and security officials have had secret relationships with Tehran, including Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi and Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.