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The Pentagon has escalated its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to its highest level, signaling significant concerns over alleged Israeli espionage targeting the United States. This decision reflects growing strains in US-Israel relations, particularly concerning policy on Iran and Lebanon.

According to US media reports citing officials, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has assessed Israel's capacity for both human and technical intelligence collection as being at a "critical level." This heightened alert status comes in the wake of intelligence suggesting Israel may have attempted to spy on high-ranking US officials. The objective, reportedly, was to gain insight into the Trump administration's internal discussions and decision-making processes regarding Middle Eastern conflicts.

Reports from The New York Times indicated Israeli efforts to eavesdrop on key figures, including President Donald Trump's chief negotiator Steve Witkoff and Pentagon policy official Elbridge Colby. These alleged actions have further complicated the relationship between the two allies, which has already faced friction.

The tensions have been exacerbated by recent disputes, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reported threats to bomb Beirut. The US reportedly viewed such actions as potentially undermining delicate negotiations with Tehran. Earlier reports also detailed a profanity-laced phone call between Trump and Netanyahu concerning these issues, highlighting the deep disagreements.