Pentagon Flags Israeli Espionage Threat as ‘Critical’ Amid Trump–Netanyahu Rift: Report

The Pentagon has elevated concerns regarding Israeli espionage activities, warning that senior American officials could become targets of intensified surveillance amid widening strategic rifts between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the conflict with Iran.

According to a report by NBC News, two current US officials and one former official revealed that the Pentagon's Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has recently raised Israel's counter-intelligence threat designation to 'critical', its highest internal assessment level.

A current official told the American broadcaster that the United States already implements stringent safety measures during official visits to Israel, pointing out that Israeli espionage apparatuses have long been perceived as highly assertive information gatherers.

However, a white house official has said that the entire news story is "false" and sourced from someone who does not have proper knowledge of the events.

"The US already takes extra precautions when visiting Israel," one current official told the American broadcaster, noting that Israeli intelligence agencies have long been viewed as particularly "aggressive collectors" of information.

Why Has the Pentagon Raised Israeli Espionage Threat to ‘Critical’ Level?

These defensive measures have reportedly involved the deployment of temporary computers, burner phones, and highly restricted communication protocols during prominent state visits.

Former diplomats, intelligence officials, and security experts noted that senior American officials frequently refrain from discussing confidential matters inside hotel rooms or other vulnerable spaces while present in Israel.

The intelligence adjustment reflects deepening anxiety within segments of the American defence establishment that Israel is actively attempting to intercept data regarding the Trump administration's internal deliberations on Middle Eastern conflicts.

The security review was distributed in recent weeks against a backdrop of escalating policy disagreements between Trump and Netanyahu concerning the trajectory of the war with Iran.

Officials familiar with the situation told NBC News that the DIA disseminated an internal notice accompanied by a seven-page assessment document outlining concerns about Israel's intelligence-gathering capabilities.

According to one of the officials, the report concluded that Israel's capacity for both human espionage and technical intelligence collection should be regarded as operating at a "critical level".

The internal document also lists several specific instances that fuelled the heightened concern, though officials stated they were not aware of any singular flashpoint that directly prompted the administrative decision.

(With inputs from ANI)