The New York Times writes that the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has elevated its counterintelligence threat assessment of Israel to the highest possible level—“critical”—in recent weeks, according to multiple U.S. officials.
The move reflects growing concerns that Israeli intelligence agencies have intensified efforts to spy on senior American officials, particularly to gain insights into the Trump administration’s internal deliberations on the ongoing war with Iran and related peace negotiations, according to NBC News.
The classified DIA assessment, described as a seven-page document that includes charts, concludes that Israel’s capabilities for both human espionage and technical collection against U.S. targets have reached a “critical level.”
It details efforts by Israeli spy agencies to monitor U.S. military personnel and government officials, with particular focus on eavesdropping on American negotiators involved in talks aimed at ending the conflict with Iran.
Officials targeted include Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s top negotiator with Iran; Elbridge A. Colby, the Pentagon’s top policy official; and Colby’s deputy, Michael P. DiMino IV. The heightened alert comes as the U.S. and Israel—longtime allies—coordinate militarily against Iran but diverge sharply on strategy.
While the Trump administration has pursued a diplomatic ceasefire and potential peace deal following the February 2026 outbreak of hostilities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for continued operations, including against Iranian proxies in Lebanon.
U.S. intelligence reports note that the espionage has gone “beyond the typical and expected” activities between allies, prompting the upgrade from “high” to “critical.” Some American officials view the actions as crossing a line, especially given the unprecedented level of tactical and operational intelligence sharing between U.S. and Israeli forces at U.S. Central Command.
Israeli Denial and U.S. Reactions
Israel has strongly rejected the allegations. A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington stated that the claims are “completely false,” asserting that Israel “does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone U.S. government officials.” The embassy emphasized that Israeli intelligence focuses solely on its enemies, not its allies, and suggested the reports may be “misinformed or politically motivated.”
The White House also pushed back, with an official calling the story “false and sourced to someone who doesn’t have any knowledge of what’s going on.” The Pentagon declined to comment, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to requests for comment.
Experts and former officials familiar with U.S.-Israel intelligence ties noted that mutual espionage between allies is not unprecedented—citing historical cases such as the 1980s Jonathan Pollard affair—but described Israel’s services as “hyper-aggressive.” U.S. personnel traveling to Israel or meeting Israeli counterparts are now advised to take extra precautions, such as using burner phones and computers, though high-level intelligence cooperation appears unaffected for now.
The development highlights underlying strains in the U.S.-Israel relationship despite public displays of unity. Congress continues to advance measures deepening military ties, including proposals to shift annual aid toward joint ventures in missile defense and artificial intelligence technologies.
Independent outlets and analysts, including those monitoring global intelligence trends, have highlighted the story as evidence of shifting dynamics in U.S.-Israeli relations.
The public reports have sparked debate in Washington and Jerusalem about the boundaries of alliance and the costs of distrust in wartime decision-making.
