JD Vance raised the possibility that Israel might not support a US-Iran peace agreement amid revelations suggesting Israeli intelligence agencies have been covertly monitoring American negotiators, including those from Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration.
There is rising concern among US intelligence officials about Israel’s surveillance activities targeting American diplomats engaged in negotiations with Iran. The Pentagon, as reported by the New York Times, now considers Israel a more significant counterintelligence risk than some traditional adversaries.
The report highlights that Israeli eavesdropping has extended to high-ranking Trump administration officials, such as the president’s chief negotiator Steve Witkoff and Pentagon policy leader Elbridge Colby, alongside other US military and government figures.
During a Fox News segment, anchor Jesse Watters questioned Vance about the espionage threat Israel poses to the United States, seeking his perspective on the nation’s surveillance activities.
Vance acknowledged the extensive common interests between the US and Israel but admitted there are areas where their objectives do not align.
“I think it’s clear that the Israelis and the United States share many interests, but there are also instances where our goals differ,” Vance stated, opting not to directly address the espionage allegations.
Vance then noted that Trump’s main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. He went on to admit Israel may not like the emerging deal.
‘I think that he’s right, that we can get the long-term settlement to Iran’s nuclear deal,’ Vance continued. ‘Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that, but fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America.’
Fox News anchor Jesse Watters grilled Vance over the spy threat Israel poses to the US, asking how concerned he was about the country eavesdropping on American
US intelligence officials are sounding the alarm over Israel’s ‘unhinged’ eavesdropping on American diplomats negotiating with Iran , with the Pentagon now ranking the supposed ally a bigger counterintelligence threat than some of America’s outright enemies
An Israeli strike on Lebanon from June, 2026
In recent days, Israel and Iran have traded missile fire and accused the other of violating the fragile ceasefire brokered by Trump.
Iran launched strikes on Israel on Sunday, calling Israeli attacks on Beirut a flagrant breach of the truce and tying the fighting in Lebanon to its wider confrontation with the United States.
In response, Israel launched airstrikes early Monday on military and economic targets across Iran, with explosions reported in Tehran, Isfahan and other cities.
Netanyahu said he had ordered the strikes after Iran attacked Israel in support of Hezbollah, but declared he would halt the assault while warning that any fresh Iranian attack would be met with force.
Trump, meanwhile, has pressed Netanyahu to stop escalating against Tehran and Lebanon, reportedly threatening to pulls US support for Israel if strikes blowing up the Iran deal he says is only days away.
The central demands the US is pressing Iran to accept are that it abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapon and surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium.
The regime, however, wants control of the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of the US blockade on its ports, and an end to the fighting in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel.
Regarding the spy allegations, the Israeli embassy has categorically denied the New York Times by insisting the country does not spy on American officials or entities and poses no threat to the US.
One senior Trump administration official the outlet that the Israeli intelligence collection on US official since the start of the President’s second term has been ‘unhinged.’
Two senior US military officials told the Times that American personnel serving in Israel or with Israeli counterpart were aware of the counterintelligence threats.
