Report: Israel spied on Iran nuke negotiations

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Negotiations with Iran to curtail its nuclear program were just getting underway when senior White House officials learned Israeli spies were eavesdropping on the closed-door talks as part of an effort by Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu to build opposition to any deal, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The spying, however, was not the main source of consternation for the Obama administration. The U.S. learned about the Israel espionage through American spies who intercepted Israeli communications, The Journal reported late Monday in a story on its website, citing unnamed White House officials.

Israel denied the spying allegation.

It was the sharing of the details acquired through espionage with U.S. lawmakers in order to undermine support for the negotiations that really upset U.S. officials, according to the report.

"It is one thing for the U.S. and Israel to spy on each other. It is another thing for Israel to steal U.S. secrets and play them back to U.S. legislators to undermine U.S. diplomacy," an unnamed senior White House official said in the story.

Israeli officials denied learning the details of the negotiations through spying, but said they came about the information in other ways, such as monitoring Iranian leaders as the negotiations progressed. They also spoke with European officials who were more open about the talks.

President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had a strained relationship but it has become particularly tense in recent months over the Iran negotiations. Netanyahu's speech before Congress in opposition to the nuclear talks — a speech by Israel's leader that occurred without Obama's invitation or approval — further roiled the waters.

The Israeli leader has made public efforts at reconciliation with Obama since his re-election last week, in a race that became uncomfortably close for Netanyahu in the days leading up to the vote.

"By coming to the U.S., I did not mean any disrespect or attempt at partisanship, but I was merely speaking of something that I view could endanger the survival of Israel," Netanyahu said Thursday.

"America has no greater ally than Israel, and Israel has no greater ally than the United States," he said.



