A lab leak is the most likely culprit for the COVID-19 respiratory illness that devastated the world, the U.S. Energy Department reportedly concluded.

Leaning on new intelligence, the department, which oversees numerous United States labs and research centers, made a judgment in "low confidence" that a lab leak is the most likely origin of the pandemic, per a classified intelligence analysis shared with the White House and Congress, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Energy Department joins the FBI in its conclusion, while four other agencies believe COVID-19 is most likely derived from natural transmission. Two agencies — including the CIA — haven't reached a firm conclusion, per the report.

Previously, the Energy Department was undecided on the matter, and its shift in perspective comes as a result of new intelligence, though the department's reasons for making its conclusion are different than the FBI's, which reached its opinion with "moderate confidence" back in 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal.