US spies warned intelligence services in Israel not to share information with Donald Trump's team for fear of it being passed on to the Kremlin, according to an extraordinary claim in the Israeli media.

American officials told their Israeli counterparts that Moscow could have 'levers of pressure' over Trump, it is alleged.

The claim has been made in newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, but has not been verified.

The president-elect has repeatedly denied Russia has leverage over him, and has branded allegations in a dossier penned by a former MI6 spy as 'garbage'.

Israeli intelligence officials were briefed not to share information with Donald Trump's team, in case it was passed on to the Kremlin, it has been alleged

Donald Trump has again lashed out over the affair and tweeted: 'It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued'.

Relations between Trump and the US intelligence services have been strained in recent months, with the incoming President repeatedly rubbishing CIA and FBI conclusions that Russian hackers had attempted to influence the Presidential election.

He blasted security services earlier this week after the notorious 'dirty dossier' became public.

Now it is claimed US figures have briefed their Israeli counterparts to be cautious with Trump's team.

The latest story, penned by investigative journalist Ronen Bergman, cites a recent meeting between US and Israeli officers.

The 'dirty dossier' which has caused a diplomatic crisis this week, was reportedly written by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele (pictured), who has gone into hiding after being linked to the controversy

He wrote: 'Israeli officials who attended that meeting said that their American counterparts spoke despairingly about the election of Trump, who has repeatedly lashed out at the American intelligence community.'

And his report added: 'The American officials went on to say that they believed that Putin has "levers of pressure" over Trump - but refrained from going into any detail.'

It is not known what these 'levers of pressure' are, but this is likely to refer to the dossier, penned by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele, which was passed to the FBI last year.

It sparked a diplomatic storm after it was published by BuzzFeed this week.

US spies allegedly warned that information passed to Donald Trump's team could end up in the hands of the Kremlin

The document made a string of salacious allegations about Trump's conduct during a 2013 visit to Moscow, claiming the president-elect had been compromised.

Both Trump and the Kremlin deny the findings.

The Yedioth Ahronoth article alleged that Israeli officials were told to be careful about sharing information with the White House after Trump takes office, until the new administration has shown it can be trusted.

The article does not state where or when the alleged meeting took place.

Trump has angrily denied that he has been compromised by Russia, tweeting today that the 'phony' allegations came from 'my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued'.

Dossier of unverifiable sleaze Lurid sex claims The report states that in 2013 Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on the bed of the Presidential Suite at the Moscow Ritz Carlton, where he knew Barack and Michelle Obama had previously stayed. It says: 'Trump's unorthodox behavior in Russia over the years had provided the authorities there with enough embarrassing material on the now Republican presidential candidate to be able to blackmail him if they so wished.' Property 'sweeteners' The document states that Trump had declined 'sweetener' real estate deals in Russia that the Kremlin lined up in order to cultivate him. The business proposals were said to be 'in relation to the ongoing 2018 World Cup soccer tournament'. Russia 'cultivated' Trump for five years The dossier claimed that the Russian regime had been 'cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least five years'. According to the document, one source even claimed that 'the Trump operation was both supported and directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin' with the aim being to 'sow discord'. Putin 'wanted to cause divisions in the West' The report claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself had endorsed moves to encourage 'splits and divisions in the West. A dossier on Hillary Clinton At one point the memo suggests Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov 'controlled' another dossier containing compromising material on Hillary Clinton compiled over 'many years'. Elsewhere in the document, it is claimed that Putin was 'motivated by fear and hatred of Hillary Clinton.' Clandestine meetings At one point the memo says there were reports of 'clandestine meetings' between Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen and Kremlin representatives in August last year in Prague. However, Trump's counsel Michael Cohen today spoke out against allegations that he secretly met with Kremlin officials. Advertisement

Former British ambassador to Moscow, Sir Andrew Wood, 77, described Steele as a 'very professional operator'.

Sir Andrew, who was ambassador between 1995 and 2000, said: 'I know him to be a very professional operator who left the secret service to operate his own company.

'I do not think he would make things up - but I do not think he would always draw the correct judgement'.

Steele has been accused of 'appalling judgement' over the 'shaky' file containing far-fetched claims about the president-elect's sex life in Russia and MI6 boss Sir Alex Younger is said to be livid.