It's the strange world of international espionage: The US has long understood that Israel is going to do a little spying on America, and it's acceptable as long as they don't overdo it. Now, multiple reports suggest they're overdoing it. The Pentagon has ramped up the counterintelligence threat posed by ally Israel to "critical," the highest level, reports the New York Times and NBC News. A big factor is the Iran war: Intelligence assessments warn that Israeli agencies have significantly stepped up efforts to monitor top US negotiator Steve Witkoff, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, and other American authorities. One senior US official describes Israel's aggressive moves as "unhinged," per the Times.
A Defense Intelligence Agency report cited by both outlets says Israel's threat level was recently raised from "high" to the top tier, citing attempts to plant listening devices at DIA headquarters and in a Secret Service vehicle, and spyware found on US defense personnel phones in Israel. It wasn't clear if a specific incident prompted the upgraded threat level, or if it was a culmination of all of the above. The warnings arrive with US-Israeli military cooperation at unprecedented levels, given the extensive intelligence-sharing and joint war planning against Iran. For the record, the Pentagon declined comment, a White House official called the account false, and Israel's embassy denied spying on US officials.
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