Shafaq News- Washington
Israel has intensified intelligence-gathering efforts targeting US officials to obtain information about President Donald Trump's strategy in negotiations with Iran, the New York Times (NYT) said on Saturday.
Citing US officials and intelligence assessments, the NYT described Israel's intelligence activities as unusually aggressive, claiming they exceeded those of any other US ally and, in some cases, even countries considered US adversaries. The report indicated that Israeli intelligence services stepped up efforts to monitor senior US officials, including President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Meanwhile, NBC News reported growing concern within the US Department of War over Israeli espionage activities targeting the United States. Quoting current and former US officials, NBC indicated that the Pentagon recently raised its counterintelligence assessment of Israel to the highest threat level, while the Defense Intelligence Agency issued a new review in recent weeks amid mounting disagreements between Washington and Tel Aviv over the war with Iran. According to US officials, an internal intelligence notice classified the Israeli espionage threat as "critical."
The reports recalled previous tensions over Israeli espionage activities in the United States, including the case of former US Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard, who served 30 years in prison after being convicted of passing highly classified documents to Israel in the 1980s.
Additionally, the agency noted that the United States also conducts intelligence operations against allies and partners. Leaks published in 2013 by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden revealed that US agencies surveilled communications of several allied leaders, including then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, triggering diplomatic tensions with Berlin.
Since the Iran-US ceasefire took effect in early April, Trump has sought to secure a diplomatic agreement with Tehran to end the conflict launched by Israel and the United States on February 28.
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