Pentagon raised threat of Israeli spying on U.S. to highest level, sources say

3 hours ago

The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) raised Israel's counterintelligence threat level to 'critical' due to concerns over increased Israeli spying on U.S. officials.
Israel is accused of conducting aggressive espionage, including human and technical collection, to gather information on U.S. internal deliberations regarding Middle East conflicts, particularly with Iran.
Tensions have risen between the U.S. and Israel over differences in handling the war with Iran and military operations in Lebanon, highlighted by a clash between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
U.S. officials are taking extra precautions, such as using burner phones and secure communication methods, when traveling to Israel to protect against espionage.
Despite the espionage concerns, high-level intelligence sharing between the U.S. and Israel continues, especially on issues related to the Iran war.
Israel denies spying on the U.S., calling the claims 'completely false' and politically motivated, while the Pentagon declined to comment.
Historical precedents, like the Jonathan Pollard case in the 1980s, show that Israeli espionage has previously caused rifts in U.S.-Israel relations.
The situation risks undermining trust between the two allies at a sensitive time, as their strategies in the Middle East may be diverging.

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