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Pentagon Intelligence Raised Israel to ‘Critical’ Espionage Threat

U.S. officials say the internal Defense Intelligence Agency assessment reflects concern that Israel sought to monitor senior U.S. officials’ communications and could prompt tighter safeguards on information sharing.

Overview

  • Multiple U.S. outlets report that in early June the Defense Intelligence Agency circulated a seven‑page internal assessment that elevated Israel’s counterintelligence designation to “critical,” its highest level.
  • The assessment says U.S. analysts saw both human intelligence and technical collection targeting senior American figures involved in Iran policy, naming officials such as Steve Witkoff, Elbridge A. Colby and Michael P. DiMino IV.
  • Reporting cites a string of alleged incidents that informed the judgment, including past attempts to place listening devices at U.S. facilities and claims that surveillance software was found on the phones of U.S. personnel in Israel.
  • Israeli and White House spokespeople have publicly denied the accounts and U.S. agencies declined public comment, even as officials reported stepped‑up operational security measures like burner phones and temporary devices for personnel.
  • The reassessment could strain trust in a close intelligence partnership, affect proposals for deeper U.S.–Israel military integration and prompt congressional scrutiny of information‑sharing practices.