Pentagon raises Israeli counterintelligence threat to highest level

The Pentagon has escalated its counterintelligence threat assessment regarding Israel to the highest level, according to U.S. media reports. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has assessed that Israel's capacity for human and technical intelligence operations has reached a "critical level."

This heightened alert stems from concerns that Israel has attempted to spy on high-ranking U.S. officials. The focus of these alleged efforts was to gain insight into the Trump administration's internal discussions and decision-making processes concerning the conflicts in the Middle East. Reports from NBC News and The New York Times detail these concerns, with the latter specifically mentioning attempts to eavesdrop on key negotiators and Pentagon officials.

The move comes amid a reportedly tense relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders reportedly had a heated phone conversation regarding Israel's threats to bomb Beirut, which Trump feared could undermine U.S. talks with Tehran. Trump has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Israeli policy in Lebanon, highlighting a significant strain in bilateral relations.

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the capacity of Israel to conduct human intelligence operations and technical collection was at a “critical level.”