Pentagon leaks: US seeks to mend ties after claims Washington spied on key allies

The US is attempting to mend fences with key allies after leaked Pentagon documents claimed Washington had been spying on friendly countries including South Korea and Israel.

The US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, spoke to his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday as officials in Seoul denied the possibility that the president’s office could have been the source of leaks over South Korean arms sales to the US.

The disclosure of the highly classified material represents Washington’s worst national security breach in many years and included details about Ukraine’s lack of ammunition and US...