Pentagon raises Israel spy threat to critical level: Report
The Pentagon has raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to the highest possible level, citing concerns that Israeli espionage is increasingly targeting senior US officials to gain insight into the Trump administration's internal deliberations on Middle East conflicts, according to an NBC News report.
The Pentagon has raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to the highest possible level in recent weeks, elevating the US ally's designation to "critical" amid mounting concerns over aggressive espionage operations, according to an NBC News report citing current and former US officials. The Defense Intelligence Agency issued the new assessment in a seven-page document identifying specific incidents that heightened US concerns about Israeli intelligence activities targeting American personnel, the report noted.
The move stems from concerns that Israel is making particular efforts to monitor senior US officials to gain insight into the Trump administration's internal deliberations on Middle East conflicts — especially regarding whether Washington will resume major combat operations against Iran or pursue a negotiated end to the war, officials said. The heightened alert comes as President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have clashed over the war with Iran and Israeli military operations in Lebanon, including a reported tense call this past week.
Expert Assessment
Emily Harding, vice president of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, described Israel as having a "hyper-aggressive intelligence service," adding: "They are exceedingly interested in what we are up to." Harding's assessment aligns with the DIA's concerns about Israeli intelligence activities directed at US government personnel, sources told the network.
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Official Denials
The Israeli Embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, insisting it is "completely false" that Israel conducts intelligence gathering on US government officials, while the Pentagon refused to comment on the assessment. A White House official similarly dismissed the report as false, pushing back against the claims as strategic disagreements persist between Washington and Tel Aviv over military operations in Lebanon and the Iran war.
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