‘We Spy Better’: Trump Taunts China, Russia as Netanyahu Pushes for Iran Strikes

US President Donald Trump claimed Washington outperforms China and Russia at espionage during a campaign appearance in Iowa, as a separate report revealed Israeli pressure for renewed American strikes on Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Speaking at a Republican candidates’ rally on Sunday, Trump brushed aside concerns about foreign spying by saying the United States conducts similar operations against its rivals.

“Somebody said, ‘China’s spying on us, sir.’ I said, ‘Yeah, and we’re spying on them too. Don’t worry about it,’” Trump told the gathering.

He extended the comparison to Russia, adding: “That’s true. And we’re doing it to them also, but we do it even better.”

Chinese agents sentenced in US

Trump’s remarks followed the sentencing of two Chinese nationals in a case involving attempts to recruit intelligence sources within the American military.

The US Department of Justice said on October 30 that Liren “Ryan” Lai, 40, and Yuance Chen, 39, had each received 30-month prison sentences for conspiring to act as agents of the Chinese government without notifying the US attorney general.

According to the department, the pair operated under China’s Ministry of State Security. Their activities included facilitating secret payments for sensitive information and gathering details about potential intelligence targets.

Court documents described a payment of approximately $10,000 through a clandestine “dead drop” in Livermore, California, in January 2022. The men also collected photographs of military installations, naval personnel and recruitment facilities. Both were arrested on June 27, 2025.

Netanyahu presses for strikes after midterms

Separately, Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Trump during a Saturday telephone conversation to launch fresh strikes on Iran immediately after the November 3 elections.

An Israeli source described the call as “tough”, while a US source called it “direct”. Trump offered a different public assessment on Sunday, describing the conversation as “very good” and confirming that Iran had been discussed.

According to Axios, Netanyahu favours military action after the vote, while Trump wants to give negotiations more time. Washington is reportedly pursuing diplomacy while preparing for a possible resumption of major combat operations.

Washington keeps diplomatic channel open

Trump said on Saturday that negotiations were “going fine” and that he was not “in much of a hurry”. He nevertheless said Washington still needed to address one or two Iranian nuclear sites, referring specifically to the suspected underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain.

Axios also reported that Vice President JD Vance had sent a letter to Iranian national security chief Mohsen Rezaei about restarting negotiations.

Qatari mediators met Iranian officials on Sunday for a third consecutive day. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said no agreement had been reached and that progress depended on Washington answering Tehran’s questions.

With inputs from ANI