New problems for him donald trump, as a recording was released of the then US president discussing “highly confidential” classified documents that described a possible attack on Iran in July 2021.

In the two-minute recording, obtained by CNN on Monday, Trump, 77, is heard discussing an alleged plan drawn up by Chief of Staff General Mark Miley for an attack on Tehran, though he acknowledges the information is “highly confidential.” and “confidential”.

“Well, with Miley – let me see that. I’ll show you an example.” Trump’s distinctive voice can be heard saying on the recording.

“He said I wanted to attack Iran – isn’t that amazing? I have a big pile of papers. This thing just came up, look. It was him. I was presented with this”says the former president, apparently showing off the classified document.

Trump notes: “This is off the record” as he continues to discuss the sensitive material.

“It was him. This was the Ministry of Defense and he, we looked at some… he was. I didn’t do that, he was… all sorts of things… full pages.’ “Isn’t that amazing? You fully justify me in that, you know. Except it’s highly confidential, secret information”Trump is heard saying.

In the two-minute recording, Trump and a member of his staff — reportedly communications aide Margo Martin — also joke about the former secretary of state’s email scandal Hillary Clinton in which she used her personal network and not the secure one of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After joking about Clinton, Trump returns to discussing the alleged plan to attack Iran.

“Look as president I could have declassified it,” Trump says. “Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret.” “Now we have a problem,” his employee answers. “Isn’t that interesting…” Trump replies.

“It’s very cool,” he adds, before asking someone to “bring some refreshments” as the recording ends.

The taped conversation was included in the special counsel’s indictment Jack Smith against Trump and is being presented as a key piece of evidence in the administration’s case against the former president over allegations that he intentionally withheld nationally sensitive information after he left office.

Smith noted in the indictment that no one of the parties involved in the conversation – a writer, an editor and two Trump staffers – “did not have a security clearance”.