Pentagon: Israel Is Top 'Critical' Counterintelligence Threat To US, Amid Israel-US-Iran War

The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has reportedly raised the counterintelligence threat level from Israel to "critical," the highest possible designation, citing aggressive espionage efforts against top U.S. officials amid diverging strategic goals regarding the war with Iran.

Israel is reportedly actively spying on senior US officials including Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Pentagon top policy adviser Elbridge Colby and his deputy Michael DiMino IV to gather intelligence on internal U.S. deliberations and peace negotiations.

The threat assessment cites specific incidents, including the discovery of surveillance software secretly installed on the phones of U.S. security personnel in Israel. Israeli internal security agency Shin Bet's operatives were found attempting to plant a listening device in a U.S. Secret Service vehicle in 2025.

The DIA noted an uptick in activities beginning in late 2024, following previous incidents such as Israeli military intelligence planting a device at DIA headquarters in 2021.

The heightened US intelligence alert coincides with public clashes between President Donald Trump, who seeks a diplomatic end to the war with Iran, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has pushed for resumed military operations.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington labeled the reports "completely false," stating that Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities. The Pentagon declined to comment.

U.S. officials anticipate increased use of burner phones and stricter security protocols when traveling to Israel, though high-level intelligence sharing regarding the Iran war reportedly continues.