Pentagon elevates counterintelligence threat regarding Israel to critical
The highest possible threat designation surpasses that of all current allies, raising questions over the depth of US-Israeli security coordination as Washington seeks to end the conflict initiated on 28 February.
The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has raised the assessed threat level regarding Israeli espionage from “high” to “critical”, according to reports from US media outlets NBC News and The New York Times. The designation, which represents the highest possible alert level, follows concerns over increasingly aggressive surveillance tactics by Israeli intelligence aimed at monitoring top US officials. The move is directly linked to internal White House deliberations on ending the US-Israeli war with Iran, which commenced on 28 February.
The assessment cites fears that Israel is attempting to surveil senior figures to understand internal White House deliberations about ending the war. Specific targets include President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Pentagon policy official Elbridge Colby, and his deputy Michael DiMino IV. Witkoff previously served as the lead negotiator in nuclear talks preceding the initial attack on Iran. The uptick in activities reportedly began in late 2024, coinciding with increased pressure from the Biden administration over the war in Gaza, and has continued into 2025 under the Trump administration.
Recent incidents cited in the reports include Israeli military intelligence attempting to plant listening devices at the DIA headquarters in 2021, and Shin Bet attempting to plant a similar device in a Secret Service vehicle in 2025. The New York Times noted that the increased DIA designation surpasses all current allies, as well as a handful of countries with more fraught relations. While the US and its allies are known to regularly conduct intelligence operations on each other, officials described Israel’s recent vigour as unique.
The diplomatic context remains tense, with President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly diverging in their approach to the conflict. Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to bring the war to a close amid mounting political pressure, while Netanyahu has called for war to resume despite an April 8 ceasefire. Fighting has been mostly paused since the temporary truce, but efforts to reach a lasting agreement have repeatedly stalled.
A US Department of Defense spokesperson labelled the reports “false”, though the designation remains in place. Despite the elevated threat level, high-level intelligence sharing regarding the Iran conflict remains unaffected. However, US officials are expected to exercise increased caution when visiting Israel. Concurrently, the US Congress is debating a section of a new defence bill that would integrate US and Israeli research and development for weaponry to an unprecedented degree.
