U.S.-Israel Intelligence Trust Crisis as Israel Accused of Spying on Key U.S. Officials
NBC reported, citing two current and one former high-level U.S. officials with access to highly classified information, that U.S. intelligence agencies discovered Israel had secretly monitored Trump's special envoy, Waltzwick, and U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Elbridge Colby.
The incident comes amid deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Israel due to disagreements over Iran policy; Israel fears the U.S. may compromise its security by making concessions in negotiations with Iran.
The report states that the U.S. has already responded: the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency has elevated the threat level posed by Israeli espionage against the U.S. to the highest "Critical" tier—a rare move.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington firmly denied the allegations, calling it "nonsense" to suggest Israel would engage in espionage against an ally.
Waltzwick is a close friend of Trump and a real estate developer, appointed as the Middle East Envoy starting in 2025, tasked with leading negotiations concerning Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Colby is the Pentagon's Deputy Secretary for Policy, overseeing defense strategy and policies toward Ukraine and Russia.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867314261571776/
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