The Pentagon has reportedly elevated its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to its highest level amid concerns over alleged Israeli intelligence activities targeting US government officials, according to a report by NBC News.
The report, published on Friday, stated that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) recently upgraded Israel’s threat designation to “critical.” The decision was reportedly based on concerns that Israeli intelligence efforts aimed at gathering information on senior US officials have become more aggressive.
According to NBC News, which cited two current and one former US official, the assessment was issued in recent weeks and reflects growing concerns within US intelligence circles.
Officials familiar with the matter said the move was driven by fears that Israel is seeking insight into the Trump administration’s internal discussions regarding ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The report further stated that the DIA assessment includes a seven-page document detailing specific incidents that contributed to the agency’s concerns.
The development comes amid reported disagreements between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over issues relating to the war with Iran and Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
The two leaders were involved in a tense telephone conversation earlier this week.
Current and former US officials, as well as external security experts cited in the report, said Israel is particularly interested in understanding whether the Trump administration intends to resume major military operations against Iran or pursue a negotiated resolution to the conflict.
Responding to the allegations, the Israeli Embassy in Washington dismissed the report.
The embassy said it is “completely false” that Israel conducts intelligence gathering on US government officials.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the report, while a White House official also rejected the claims, describing the story as false.
Emily Harding, vice president of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, commented on Israel’s intelligence capabilities.
“They are exceedingly interested in what we are up to,” she added, describing Israel as having a “hyper-aggressive intelligence service.”
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