Pentagon Raises Threat of Israeli Spying to ‘Critical’ as Tensions Flare Over Iran Negotiations

Washington, D.C. – The Pentagon has elevated its counterintelligence threat level for Israel to “critical,” the highest possible rating, following alarming reports that Israeli intelligence agencies have been conducting an “unhinged” campaign to spy on top U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump’s lead negotiator on Iran.

According to a report by NBC News citing U.S. officials, the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) concluded that Israel’s “ability to conduct human espionage and technical collection is at a ‘critical level.’” The assessment, which involved contributions from other military intelligence bodies and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, reportedly raises Israel’s threat rating from “high” to “critical.”

The New York Times, citing a detailed DIA assessment, reported that the espionage efforts specifically targeted senior officials to gain insight into “the Trump administration’s internal deliberations and decision-making on the conflicts in the Middle East.” Named targets allegedly include Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s top negotiator; Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s top policy official; and Michael DiMino, a senior Middle East policy adviser.

One senior American official described the scale of Israeli intelligence collection during Mr. Trump’s second administration as “unhinged.” According to the Times, the assessment stated that Israel now poses a greater counterintelligence concern than any other U.S. ally, and even some enemy nations. Officials noted that the only ally that comes close to Israel’s level of threat is South Korea, and only under certain specific circumstances.

The DIA report was reportedly drafted after American defense staff in Israel discovered that software capable of intercepting communications had been secretly installed on their mobile phones. It also cited a pattern of alleged espionage incidents over several years, including:

• In 2021, Israeli military intelligence officers allegedly being caught planting listening devices at DIA headquarters.

• Last year, officers from Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, allegedly attempting to place a listening device inside a U.S. Secret Service vehicle.

The report noted that counterintelligence incidents began to increase in late 2024 when the Biden administration pressured Israel to limit military operations in Gaza, and continued into 2025 as the Trump administration debated options for confronting Iran. American officials also suggested that some senior Trump administration figures made themselves vulnerable by conducting official business on personal mobile phones, traveling on private aircraft, or declining support from U.S. embassy staff during foreign visits.

The heightened threat level comes at a moment of severe strain between the two allies. While the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering the current conflict, their strategies have since diverged sharply. President Trump is actively pursuing a diplomatic track with Tehran, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu favors a more aggressive military approach aimed at further weakening Iran’s regime and regional influence.

That strain reportedly boiled over recently. Axios and ABC News reported earlier this week that Trump unleashed a profanity-laced tirade at Netanyahu over the phone, after the Israeli Prime Minister threatened to bomb the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Trump feared such a strike would undermine ongoing talks with Tehran.

The relationship is further complicated by domestic Israeli opinion. A poll last month by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 64% of Jewish Israelis and 48.5% of Arab Israelis believe ending the Iran war is not compatible with Israel’s security interests. Additionally, 51% of Israelis think the U.S. administration has greater influence over Israel’s defense decisions than the Israeli government itself.

Official Responses

• A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington denied the allegations, stating: “This is completely false. Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone U.S. government officials. Israel’s intelligence collection efforts are aimed at its enemies, not its allies. Any claims to the contrary are either misinformed or politically motivated.”

• The Pentagon declined to comment on the report.

• The White House issued a statement rejecting the story outright: “This entire story is false and sourced to someone who doesn’t have any knowledge of what’s going on.”

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