Pentagon intelligence agency allegedly flags Israel spying concerns as 'critical'

The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has reportedly raised its assessment of the threat posed by Israeli espionage activities in the United States from "high" to "critical," according to recent reports by NBC News and The New York Times.

The reported reassessment reflects concerns within the US intelligence community about what officials described as increasingly aggressive Israeli efforts to gather information on senior US policymakers and internal government deliberations, says Al Jazeera.

According to the reports, the surveillance activities are aimed at obtaining insight into White House discussions regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran, which began on 28 February. The issue has exposed differences between US and Israeli leaders over the future of the war.

President Donald Trump has expressed interest in bringing the conflict to an end amid growing domestic political pressure, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has favoured resuming military operations despite a ceasefire reached on April 8 that has largely halted active fighting.

The reports said Israeli intelligence activity intensified in late 2024 as the administration of former President Joe Biden increased pressure on Israel over its conduct in Gaza. The efforts reportedly continued into 2025 as the Trump administration developed its policy towards Iran.

Recent intelligence assessments cited in the reports documented alleged attempts to monitor Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy and chief nuclear negotiator, as well as Elbridge Colby, a senior Pentagon policy official, and Colby's deputy, Michael DiMino IV.

The reports also referenced previous incidents allegedly involving Israeli intelligence services. In 2021, Israeli military intelligence was said to have attempted to place listening devices at DIA headquarters. More recently, Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, was reportedly caught attempting to plant a device in a US Secret Service vehicle.

The reported "critical" designation is notable because it would place Israel's espionage threat assessment above that of all other current US allies and some countries with more openly adversarial relationships with Washington.

A Department of Defense spokesperson, cited in the reports, described the allegations as "false."

The developments come despite close military and security cooperation between the United States and Israel. Washington continues to provide billions of dollars in military assistance to Israel, while lawmakers are considering defence legislation that would further expand joint US-Israeli weapons research and development programmes.

The reports underscore tensions that have emerged within the broader US-Israel relationship as the two governments navigate differences over regional security issues, including the conflict with Iran.