According to several current and former American officials, concerns are growing within the Pentagon about alleged Israeli espionage activities towards the United States. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Pentagon’s military intelligence service, is therefore said to have recently raised the threat level for Israel in the field of counterintelligence to “critical”, the highest level.
Journalist at HLN
Source: NBC News
That decision is said to have been made against the background of rising tensions between the US and Israel over the approach to the conflict with Iran. According to the sources involved, the Pentagon fears that Israel is trying more intensively to gather information about internal discussions and strategic decisions within the Trump administration regarding the Middle East.
The DIA reportedly prepared a seven-page internal report on the matter, including a summary of incidents that have reinforced U.S. concerns. The document reportedly states that Israel has reached a “critical” level in both human intelligence and technical espionage capabilities.
Conflicting statements
Israel strongly denies the allegations. A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington called the allegations “completely false” and emphasized that Israel does not collect intelligence about American institutions or government officials. According to the embassy, Israeli intelligence focuses exclusively on “enemies, not allies.”
The story is also contradicted from the White House. A spokesperson calls the reporting incorrect and states that the sources used have no insight into the actual situation. The Pentagon itself made no comment, while the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to press queries.
Although allies are more likely to spy on each other, the US sources say they believe recent Israeli activities go beyond what is generally considered customary. However, it is not clear whether one specific incident prompted the increased warning.
Tensions
Tensions between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are said to have increased further in recent weeks. According to ‘NBC News’, the two leaders clashed over issues including the war with Iran and Israeli operations in Lebanon. Trump even reportedly called Netanyahu “crazy” during a tense telephone conversation.
Since the ceasefire in early April, Trump has been trying to end the conflict with Iran through diplomatic negotiations. Israel is publicly skeptical about this and fears that Tehran will not adhere to possible agreements. Netanyahu would therefore push for new attacks on Iranian targets, while Trump is trying to slow down military escalation in the region.
According to American sources, Israel is closely monitoring whether Washington will intervene militarily against Iran again or opt for a definitive diplomatic solution.