Amid increased concerns about espionage, the Pentagon has designated Israel as a “critical level” counterintelligence threat.
Spying intensified
The development occurs at a time when Washington is extremely worried that Israel is increasing its attempts to spy on the US by using burner phones and staying in hotels with caution. These allegations about espionage were reinforced in recent weeks by the Pentagon’s Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), which released a fresh counterintelligence threat assessment.
Based on advanced human intelligence collection and technological surveillance, the agency elevated Israel’s threat rating to “critical level” in the assessment. The announcement coincides with tension between the two nations regarding how to proceed with their confrontation with Iran.
Response by Israel
A seven-page intelligence report claims that Israel has been targeting senior US officials to better understand the Trump administration’s internal decision-making on Middle East policy. The report, if verified, could further strain intelligence relations between the US and Israel.
Israel’s embassy spokesperson in Washington rejected the allegations, calling them “baseless and completely false.” “Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone US government officials,” the spokesperson said. “Israel intelligence collection efforts are aimed at its enemies, not its allies. Any claims to the contrary are either misinformed or politically motivated.”
However, the Pentagon has not confirmed the report. In addition, a White House official also dismissed it, saying the story is false and based on an uninformed source.
Surveilling allies
Although allies and even rivals often spy on one another, current and former US officials said Israel’s recent activities appear to go beyond what is usually seen in standard intelligence practice. It is still unclear what specific incident, if any, led the Defense Intelligence Agency to raise its counterintelligence threat level.
The heightened alert comes amid growing friction between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war with Iran and Israel’s operations in Lebanon. NBC News reported that tensions escalated during a recent phone call, after which Trump told reporters he had called Netanyahu “crazy.”
Rising tensions between Israel and US
Since a ceasefire agreement in early April, Trump has pushed for diplomatic engagement with Iran to end the conflict that began in February, while Israel has remained skeptical about any potential deal. Netanyahu has also favored renewed strikes on Iran and disagreed with Trump’s push to limit attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
According to officials and experts, Israel is closely watching whether Trump chooses renewed military action against Iran or moves toward ending the conflict, as differences in US and Israeli priorities in the region appear to be widening.
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