Burner Phones, Hotel Precautions: US Officials Fear Israeli Spying, Says Report

A reported Pentagon assessment has raised concerns over alleged Israeli intelligence activity, prompting denials from both Israel and the White House.

However, the Israeli Embassy in Washington firmly denied the claims.

Source : ANI

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• Controversy underscores evolving US-Israel alliance dynamics amidst regional tensions.

Questions are emerging over the state of relations between the United States and Israel following reports that a Pentagon intelligence agency has significantly elevated its assessment of Israeli intelligence activities targeting American interests. According to an NBC News report, the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has raised its counterintelligence threat level concerning Israel to "critical," the highest category in its assessment framework. The development comes just months after Washington and Tel Aviv coordinated military action against Iran, highlighting potential strains between two of the closest allies.

DIA Report Raises Intelligence Concerns

Citing two current US officials and one former official, NBC reported that the DIA recently circulated a seven-page assessment accompanied by a chart detailing the revised threat evaluation.

The document reportedly concludes that Israel's ability to collect information through both human intelligence networks and technical surveillance capabilities has reached a "critical level." While the report allegedly references specific incidents supporting the assessment, details remain classified and have not been publicly disclosed.

Officials familiar with the matter reportedly expressed concerns that Israeli intelligence efforts may be aimed at understanding internal discussions within the administration of President Donald Trump regarding conflicts and diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East.

One official cited by NBC noted that intelligence gathering among allies is not uncommon, but suggested that the level of activity attributed to Israel had attracted heightened attention within US security circles.

Israel Rejects Allegations

Israeli officials have firmly denied the claims contained in the report. Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington stated, as per reports: “Israel does not gather intelligence on American entities, let alone US government officials.”

The embassy further dismissed the NBC report as “completely false.”

White House Pushes Back Against Report

The White House also rejected the assertions outlined in the report. A US official responded by saying: “This entire story is false and sourced to someone who doesn’t have any knowledge of what’s going on.”

Meanwhile, the Pentagon declined to comment publicly on the report or the alleged assessment, leaving questions unanswered regarding the authenticity and scope of the document referenced by NBC.

Growing Friction Behind The Scenes

The report comes amid indications of increasing unease between Washington and Tel Aviv over regional policy decisions. Recent accounts from Israeli officials suggested frustration with the Trump administration's handling of ceasefire discussions involving Iran. According to reports, some Israeli policymakers felt excluded from key diplomatic conversations and believed they had limited visibility into ongoing US deliberations.

Without direct access to those discussions, Israeli officials reportedly relied on diplomatic contacts and regional intermediaries to gather information about negotiations and policy developments.