NEW YORK, June 6. /TASS/. In its efforts to learn more about the US position in negotiations with Iran, Israel has crossed the line in its methods of obtaining information, The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing sources.
The report notes that Israel and the United States have long spied on each other. While both countries are aware of these intelligence activities and generally tolerate them, the Jewish state has crossed the line in its attempts to obtain information about Washington’s position in negotiations with Tehran.
According to the report, US intelligence warned the country's leadership that Israel had stepped up efforts to monitor and gather information on senior US officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby.
The publication notes that while the US military provides its Israeli counterparts with a significant amount of tactical and operational intelligence, the Jewish state is particularly interested in information regarding US President Donald Trump’s strategy in negotiations with Tehran. According to one US official, Israeli espionage has spiraled out of control during Trump’s second term.
Earlier, NBC News reported that the US War Department was seriously concerned about the increase in Israeli intelligence activity in the country. It noted that the Pentagon’s intelligence directorate had published a new counterintelligence assessment that raised the threat level from Israel to "critical."