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The US Pentagon has raised the counterintelligence threat level for Israel to its highest rating, citing growing concerns over Israeli espionage efforts targeting senior US officials.
According to reports from NBC News, the Pentagon’s Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) stated that Israel’s “ability to conduct human espionage and technical collection is at a ‘critical level.’”
The heightened alert follows allegations that Israeli operatives have sought to monitor the internal deliberations of the Trump administration regarding Middle East conflicts. Specific reports highlighted attempts to eavesdrop on top officials, including President Donald Trump’s lead negotiator, Steve Witkoff, and the Pentagon’s senior policy officer, Elbridge Colby, as cited by The New York Times.
This escalation comes in the aftermath of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, a military operation that has strained the relationship between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sources reported that Trump expressed his frustration directly to Netanyahu in a profanity-laden phone call over Israel’s threats to bomb Beirut. Trump reportedly feared such actions could jeopardise ongoing negotiations with Tehran, according to Axios and ABC News.
US officials have indicated that the decision to raise the counterintelligence level reflects a broader concern over the potential for sensitive US strategic discussions to be compromised. Analysts suggest the development could complicate diplomatic relations between Washington and Tel Aviv, especially given the overlapping security interests in the region.
