The Pentagon's intelligence agency has raised its assessment of the threat from Israeli espionage activities from 'high' to 'critical' in recent weeks, according to US media. NBC News first reported the change on Friday, and The New York Times published a separate report the following day.
The news outlets, citing anonymous sources, said the change was driven by concerns over increasingly aggressive tactics related to the US-Israel war with Iran. Specifically, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) elevated the alert due to worries that Israel is stepping up efforts to monitor top US officials to learn the contents of internal White House discussions on ending the war.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have publicly disagreed over how to approach the war that the US and Israel began on February 28. While Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the war under domestic political pressure, Netanyahu has called for continuing the military campaign despite a temporary ceasefire that took effect on April 8.
According to The New York Times, while Israel is known for its espionage activities against the US, the DIA noted an uptick beginning in late 2024 as the administration of President Joe Biden increased pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza. The increase continued into 2025 after Trump returned to the White House and began discussing approaches to Iran.
Other recent intelligence reports also documented evidence of Israeli attempts to track Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, as well as Elbridge Colby, a senior policy official at the Pentagon, and his deputy, Michael DiMino IV. Witkoff was the lead negotiator in nuclear talks prior to the initial US-Israeli attack on Iran in February.
Both NBC News and The New York Times cited unnamed US officials. The US Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment, but an anonymous spokesperson claimed the reports were 'false.' Nonetheless, these concerns raise questions about the close intelligence and military partnership between Israel and the US.
Washington has provided billions of dollars in military aid and weapons sales to Israel for years, including during the war in Gaza. The US Congress is also debating a portion of a new defense bill that would integrate weapons research and development between the two countries to an unprecedented degree.
While the US and its allies routinely conduct intelligence operations against each other, officials said the recent intensity from Israel is exceptional. The New York Times reported that the DIA's threat assessment now exceeds that for all other current allies and some countries with more strained relations. Recent incidents include Israeli military intelligence attempting to plant listening devices at DIA headquarters in 2021, and Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet being discovered trying to plant similar devices in a US Secret Service vehicle in 2025.
