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Pentagon flags Israel spying
The Pentagon raised its counterintelligence threat assessment of Israel to “critical,” according to NBC News reporting cited by The Times of Israel, amid tensions between the US and Israel over the direction of the wars in Iran and Lebanon.
“The Pentagon’s intelligence arm has raised the assessed threat level on Israeli spying from “high” to “critical” in recent weeks, according to US media”
The report said the Defense Intelligence Agency issued an internal message raising the level to “critical,” and that the assessment included a seven-page document describing specific incidents that heightened US concern.
The Times of Israel also said the Pentagon’s assessment focused on Israel stepping up efforts to spy on US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as on United States Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby and his deputy Michael P. DiMino IV.
A senior official quoted by The Times of Israel described Israel’s intelligence gathering on US officials since Trump entered office as “unhinged,” while the White House and Israel’s embassy in the US both denied the NBC report.
The Pentagon declined to comment, and the Israeli embassy spokesperson told NBC that it is “completely false” that Israel spies on the US.
Denials and named targets
NBC News said the DIA posted an internal message, viewed by a current US official, that raised the level for Israel to “critical,” and that the designation stems from concerns Israel is trying to surveil top US officials for information about internal Trump administration deliberations.
NBC News reported that the DIA assessment includes a seven-page document and a chart, and that it says Israel’s ability to conduct human espionage and technical collection is at a “critical level.”
The Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., denied the allegations in a statement to NBC, saying “Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone US government officials,” and adding that its efforts are aimed at enemies, not allies.
A White House official told NBC that “This entire story is false and sourced to someone who doesn’t have any knowledge of what’s going on,” while NBC said the Pentagon declined to comment.
NBC News also tied the heightened alert to a tense phone call this past week, in which Trump acknowledged he called Netanyahu “crazy,” as the two countries clashed over the war with Iran and Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
What changes next
NBC News reported that the most practical outcome for the Pentagon is that US officials will use extra caution when traveling to Israel or visiting with Israeli officials, and that “The U.S. already takes extra precautions when visiting Israel.”
“New revelations reveal growing tensions between the United States and Israel in the intelligence arena”
NBC News said officials did not know whether a specific incident triggered the DIA’s decision, but it reported that the designation could lead to stricter restrictions and extreme caution measures for US officials and diplomats during visits to Israel or meetings with Israeli representatives.
Ynetnews reported that the immediate implication of the new directive is stricter restrictions and extreme caution measures, and it quoted a senior official saying “They’re well-known to aggressively collect.”
Ynetnews also said the deep and daily intelligence cooperation between the two countries, especially regarding the war with Iran, is continuing as usual for now and has not been affected.
The reports placed the allegations in a wider context of US-Israel friction over the war with Iran and operations in Lebanon, with Ynetnews noting that since the ceasefire took effect on April 7, Trump has been leading an effort to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran while Netanyahu pressed for renewed bombing of Iran.
