Pentagon Raises Israel Counterintelligence Threat Level To 'Critical' Amid Spying Concerns: Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Pentagon has elevated its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to the highest level amid concerns that the US ally has intensified efforts to gather intelligence on American officials, according to an NBC News report citing two current US officials and one former US official.

According to the news outlet, the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) recently issued a revised counterintelligence assessment that elevated Israel's threat designation to "critical."

The report said the assessment was issued in recent weeks as tensions have grown between Washington and Jerusalem over the future direction of the conflict involving Iran. The news outlet reported that the DIA circulated an internal message raising Israel's threat level, which was viewed by one of the current US officials familiar with the matter.

Concerns over surveillance of senior US officials

According to the outlet, Pentagon officials are increasingly concerned that Israel is seeking information about the Trump administration's internal discussions and decision-making related to conflicts in the Middle East.

The report cited officials as saying that the designation was driven by concerns that Israel has stepped up surveillance efforts targeting senior US officials in an attempt to gain insight into Washington's policy deliberations.

Assessment details

According to NBC News, the DIA assessment consists of a seven-page document and includes a chart outlining the agency's concerns.

The current and former officials cited by the report said Israeli intelligence activities have gone beyond what is generally considered routine espionage among allies, although they were unaware of any single event that directly triggered the decision to raise the threat level.

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A White House official disputed the report's claims.

"This entire story is false and sourced to someone who doesn't have any knowledge of what's going on," the official said in a statement cited by NBC News.

Tensions over Iran policy

The reassessment comes against the backdrop of policy disagreements between the United States and Israel over Iran.

Since a ceasefire took effect in early April, President Donald Trump has pursued a diplomatic agreement with Iran aimed at ending the conflict that began on February 28.

The report also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has advocated for renewed military action against Iran and has disagreed with Trump's calls to limit attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Also Read | Trump says Iran is 'strong' and 'proud' but 'they've got no choice' on deal

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