US raises Israeli espionage threat to critical level amid surveillance concerns

The US Department of Defense has elevated the threat level associated with espionage by Israeli intelligence services to its highest tier, amid escalating tensions between Washington and West Jerusalem over potential actions against Iran.

The Pentagon is deeply concerned about an increase in Israeli intelligence operations targeting the US, NBC News reported, citing sources within the Department of Defense.

According to these sources, the Defense Intelligence Agency issued a new threat assessment document after Israel intensified its espionage activities. These operations reportedly aimed to monitor decisions regarding the conflict in the Middle East, as well as internal deliberations within US President Donald Trump’s team.

The document raises Israel’s espionage threat category to the “critical” level.

An official at the Israeli Embassy in Washington told NBC News that the allegations of surveillance targeting the US are entirely false. The official stated that Israel’s intelligence activities focus solely on its enemies, not its allies, and asserted that any claims to the contrary are disinformation or politically motivated.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the developments, while a White House official declared that reports of Israeli surveillance operations are baseless.

In addition to the intelligence dispute, a new debate has emerged regarding the military aid relationship between the two nations. According to a report by The Washington Post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his support for a draft resolution introduced by Republican Representative Marlin Stutzman, which proposes altering the format of US military assistance to Israel.

The resolution proposes ending the $3.8 billion in direct annual military aid that the US provides to Israel, requiring Israel to pay the full cost of the US weaponry it purchases.

The current memorandum of understanding on military assistance between the US and Israel, which totals $38 billion, is scheduled to expire in 2028.

While the new resolution submitted to Congress is not legally binding, it reflects the growing debate in Washington over the future of the assistance, amid the war in Gaza and declining public approval ratings for Israel in the US.

The Washington Post reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement expressing his desire for Israel to stand on its own feet, noting that the country aims to transition from the status of an aid recipient to that of a partner.

Supporters of the draft resolution argue that the move would transition the US-Israel relationship from a direct aid model to a trade-focused structure, facilitating closer military-technological cooperation.