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The U.S. Department of Defense has raised its counterintelligence threat level to its highest setting, citing concerns over alleged Israeli espionage activities. This move signals a significant escalation in distrust between the two close allies.

Heightened Security Concerns

According to NBC News, which cited several U.S. officials, the Defense Intelligence Agency recently issued a new assessment. This assessment comes amid growing tensions between the U.S. and Israel, particularly concerning disagreements over the conflict with Iran. One official revealed that an internal memo designated the threat level from Israel as "critical."

Allegations of Surveillance

The Pentagon's apprehension stems from suspicions that Israel has been monitoring senior American officials and attempting to gain insights into internal U.S. deliberations and decisions regarding Middle Eastern conflicts. The report also mentioned that the document detailed several specific incidents that have amplified U.S. concerns.

Impact on Operations

As a result of the increased threat level, the Pentagon is reinforcing precautionary measures for American officials traveling to Israel or interacting with their Israeli counterparts. However, sources suggest that this heightened alert is unlikely to disrupt the routine exchange of intelligence information between the two nations, especially in the context of the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Israeli Response

A representative from the Israeli Embassy in Washington dismissed these reports to NBC News, calling such statements "completely false."

Strained Relations

Relations between the two countries have been strained by disagreements between the U.S. President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These disputes reportedly involve the war with Iran and Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The situation has been exacerbated by increasing doubts about the alignment of objectives between the two nations.

Earlier in April, following the implementation of a ceasefire, the U.S. President was reportedly attempting to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran to end the conflict that began on February 28th, initiated by Israel and the U.S. Israel has publicly expressed skepticism about Iran's adherence to any such agreement.

This information was reported by Infohub.kz.