NBC News reports that it has obtained a "top-secret report" indicating that the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States was spying on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his delegation during their visit to the country. According to this report, published on Wednesday, September 23, the NSA conducted a "large-scale operation" to eavesdrop on hotel rooms and mobile phones of the former Iranian president and his 143-member delegation during their trip to New York in 2007. The report adds that during this extensive spying operation, "hundreds of conversations" were intercepted, and information about the "leadership social networks" of Iran was obtained. Benafsheh Kinoush, the official translator for Ahmadinejad in New York, told NBC that she and other members of the delegation "were almost certain they were being monitored and acted accordingly." The report also cites "former intelligence analysts" stating that the U.S. will "likely" spy on foreign leaders like Hassan Rouhani, the current president of Iran, who is attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Rouhani is scheduled to arrive in New York on Thursday, September 24. Previous reports have also indicated that the U.S. has spied on the highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic even within Iran. For instance, documents released by Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the NSA, revealed that the agency had "carefully monitored" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's trip to Kurdistan in 2009. During this operation, not only were Khamenei's speeches intercepted, but also the radio communications of his guards, pilots, and staff of the aircraft or helicopter he was traveling in. According to these documents, the NSA arranged a "mission with advanced spying equipment" when it learned of the Supreme Leader's trip to Kurdistan. This mission was named "Dardnot." The NSA collaborated with other agencies, including one that controls satellite imagery and the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), which has the capability to track and eavesdrop on phone conversations. At that time, Iran announced that it would "seriously pursue" this report. However, the U.S. refrained from officially confirming or denying this report.
NBC: The U.S. Spied on Ahmadinejad and His Accompanying Delegation in New York
NBC News revealed that the NSA spied on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his delegation during their 2007 visit to New York, intercepting hundreds of conversations. This raises concerns about U.S. surveillance practices and their implications for current Iranian leaders like Hassan Rouhani, who is set to attend the UN General Assembly.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The NSA conducted a large-scale spying operation on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his 143-member delegation during their 2007 trip to New York, intercepting hundreds of conversations. This operation raises concerns about U.S. surveillance practices and the potential for similar actions against current Iranian leaders.
- The NSA's operation involved eavesdropping on hotel rooms and mobile phones.
- Previous reports indicate that the U.S. has spied on other high-ranking Iranian officials, including Ayatollah Khamenei.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The U.S. has a history of monitoring Iranian leaders due to longstanding tensions, particularly over Iran's nuclear program and its regional influence.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%