The Pentagon has reportedly raised its assessment of the counterintelligence threat posed by Israel to the highest level, "critical," amid growing concerns over Israeli surveillance activities targeting senior U.S. officials, according to a report published Saturday by The New York Times.
The newspaper reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe Israel intensified efforts to monitor key members of the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, and his deputy Michael Dimino.
According to the report, U.S. officials assessed that Israel was seeking insight into the administration's evolving position on negotiations with Iran. The heightened threat assessment could lead to stricter limits on the intelligence and operational information shared with Israeli officials.
The report also cited incidents in which U.S. security personnel stationed in Israel allegedly discovered surveillance software covertly installed on their mobile phones. Two senior U.S. military officials said American personnel operating in Israel or alongside Israeli counterparts follow enhanced security protocols to safeguard electronic devices and sensitive communications.
A Defense Intelligence Agency assessment reportedly found that espionage-related incidents increased significantly beginning in late 2024 and continued through 2025. The report cited several alleged cases, including an incident in 2021 in which Israeli military intelligence officers were said to have been caught attempting to install a listening device at DIA headquarters, as well as a separate effort last year to place surveillance equipment in a U.S. government vehicle.
The newspaper further reported that some U.S. officials expressed concern about Trump administration personnel conducting sensitive national security business on personal phones and while traveling on private aircraft. One former U.S. official said such practices made them particularly vulnerable to surveillance by both allied and adversarial intelligence services.
Both the White House and the Israeli government rejected the allegations. Nevertheless, a senior U.S. official described Israeli intelligence collection efforts directed at senior figures in the second Trump administration as unusually aggressive and largely unchecked.