A recent report from Kuwait’s Al-Jarida newspaper has sparked controversy and debate over alleged US diplomatic efforts with Iran. The report, which cited an unnamed source within Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, claimed that a high-level American security delegation secretly traveled to Tehran on a mission to de-escalate tensions following recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
According to the initial report, the US delegation allegedly provided Iranian officials with a list of ten Mossad agents operating within Iran. This claim, if true, would represent a significant breach in US-Israeli intelligence cooperation.
However, the veracity of this report has been strongly contested. A US National Security Council spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post that the claim was “categorically false.” The story was initially published and then deleted by Fox News, raising further questions about its accuracy.
Several experts have expressed skepticism about the report. Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, suggested on social media that the story might be “disinformation aimed to increase polarization in the US as well as fissures between Israel and the US.”
Despite the denials, the report has fueled intense discussion. Senator Ted Cruz responded on X (formerly Twitter), expressing grave concern over the potential implications if the report were true.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken later acknowledged that the US had “engaged in intense diplomacy with allies and partners, communicating that message directly to Iran” in an effort to deescalate conflict. However, this statement did not confirm the specific claims made in the Al-Jarida report.
If it does prove to be true, crippling Israel’s intelligence operations in Iran would seriously endanger the US. In 2021, the New York Times reported that Israel scaled back its intelligence cooperation with the United States when President Joe Biden took office due to distrust of his administration. The Israeli intelligence experts feared Washington would leak the information, as US administrations have done previously. The report came at a time when Iran had aggressively cracked down on US intelligence operations in the Islamist republic.
