Israel denies spying on US-Iran talks

Israeli officials have denied a report that the country spied on the United States’ handling of sensitive negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The new crisis threatens to deepen a widening rift between the two allies.

The report in the Wall Street Journal has come at a difficult time for US-Israel relations. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been feuding with the White House over an emerging nuclear deal with Iran, and has come under fire for comments he made in the final days of Israel’s parliamentary election campaign last week.