The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has raised the counterintelligence threat level posed by Israel to “critical”—its highest designation—according to NBC News, which cited multiple sources familiar with a seven-page DIA assessment. The move reflects growing concern within the US defense establishment that Israeli intelligence services have been actively monitoring Trump administration officials to gather insight into internal deliberations over Middle East policy, particularly disagreements over the direction of military operations involving Iran and Lebanon.
The elevated designation has prompted heightened security measures for US officials interacting with Israeli counterparts, including the use of burner phones when traveling to Israel, sources said. The Israeli embassy in Washington called the allegations “completely false,” and both the White House and Pentagon declined to comment on the record. The episode represents a significant, if rarely publicized, strain on the US-Israel relationship, coming as the two governments remain at odds over the endgame of ongoing regional conflicts.