The Pentagon has raised its counterintelligence concern over Israel to the highest level amid growing tension between Washington and Jerusalem over the war with Iran and Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, according to two current U.S. officials and one former U.S. official. The Defense Intelligence Agency recently issued an internal assessment that labeled Israel’s human espionage and technical collection capabilities as “critical,” the officials said.
The move reflects fears inside the Pentagon that Israel has been intensifying efforts to monitor top U.S. officials and gain insight into internal Trump administration debates on Middle East policy. One current official said the DIA document was seven pages long and included a chart, as well as examples of incidents that raised alarms. The officials did not identify a single trigger for the upgraded assessment, but said the concern had been building in recent weeks.
Israel’s embassy in Washington rejected the report, calling the claims “completely false” and saying Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities or U.S. government officials. The White House also dismissed the story, saying it was false and based on a source without knowledge of the matter. The Pentagon declined to comment, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond.
The heightened alert comes as President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly clashed over next steps in the Iran conflict. Trump has been pushing for diplomacy and a negotiated end to the war after a ceasefire took effect in early April, while Israeli leaders have expressed skepticism that Iran would honor any agreement. Netanyahu has also pushed for renewed strikes against Iran and disagreed with Trump’s calls to reduce attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Despite the security concerns, U.S.-Israeli intelligence sharing is expected to continue uninterrupted. Officials said the practical effect is likely to be increased caution by American personnel traveling to Israel or meeting with Israeli counterparts. That includes extra care with phones, laptops and conversations in hotel rooms. One official said the U.S. already takes heightened precautions in Israel, given the country’s reputation for aggressive intelligence collection.
Former diplomats and national security officials said Israel has long been viewed in Washington as an especially assertive intelligence service, even toward close allies. The relationship has caused friction before, most notably in the Jonathan Pollard case in the 1980s, when the U.S. Navy analyst was convicted of spying for Israel. The article also notes that the U.S. itself spies on allies, citing disclosures from Edward Snowden that showed American surveillance of European leaders.
Even so, current and former officials warned that a new episode of suspected Israeli espionage at a sensitive moment could strain trust between the two allies. The concern comes as the U.S. and Israel remain closely linked militarily and diplomatically, but appear increasingly divided over strategy in the Middle East.
