US House speaker ‘shocked’ by Israeli spying on Iran talks
US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner says he was “shocked” by reports of Israeli spying on sensitive talks underway between Iran and the 5+1 group.
Senior White House officials said in a report published by the Wall Street Journal on Monday that Israel spied spy on the closed-door nuclear negotiations and used the intelligence gathered to persuade Congress to undermine the talks.
“I read that story this morning, and frankly, I was a bit shocked because there’s no information revealed to me whatsoever,” Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, told reporters on Tuesday.
“I was shocked by the fact that there were reports in this press article that information was being passed on from the Israelis to members of Congress,” he said. “I’m not aware of that at all.”
US officials told the Journal the spying operation was part of a campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “penetrate the negotiations and then help build a case against the emerging terms of the deal.”
The report comes at a time when officials from Iran and the P5+1 – the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – are engaged in intense negotiations to work out a comprehensive agreement aimed at ending the longstanding dispute over the Islamic Republic’s civilian nuclear work as a July 1 deadline approaches.
“It is one thing for the US and Israel to spy on each other," a senior US official told the newspaper. "It is another thing for Israel to steal US secrets and play them back to US legislators to undermine US diplomacy."
Earlier this month, Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress, where he ranted for nearly 40 minutes against the Iran nuclear talks, warning Washington that it was negotiating a “bad deal” with the Islamic Republic.
The invitation to Netanyahu was extended by Boehner without consultation with the White House, drawing angry reaction from the Obama administration, which called it a breach of protocol.
GJH/GJH
Sanders to Netanyahu: 'Don’t insult American people’s intelligence'
US House speaker wants National Guard to quell pro-Palestine student protests
Students protest at US universities to urge end in financial ties to Israel
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | American, Israeli rabbis call for ceasefire during protest near Gaza
Minister urges enhanced Iran-Russia defense cooperation
US campus crackdown: 500 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested
VIDEO | Yemenis rally in Sana'a in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza
VIDEO | Jordanians march after Friday prayers in support of Palestinians
Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir injured
Germany clears pro-Gaza camp as US-style demos spread across Europe
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
