Pentagon Raises Israeli Spying Threat to ‘Critical’ — Rare Public Rebuke of US Ally

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has elevated its threat assessment of Israeli espionage activities against the United States to “critical,” a rare and extraordinary designation for a country that is formally a strategic ally, according to four current and former US officials briefed on the matter.

The shift follows a series of clandestine Israeli intelligence operations on American soil that US investigators uncovered over the past four months, including the alleged recruitment of a Pentagon analyst and the penetration of communications networks used by US military leadership in the Middle East.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office denied any illegal intelligence activity against the United States, calling the report “deeply wrong and counterproductive.” Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday in an attempt to manage the fallout, according to an Israeli official.

The designation carries significant operational consequences. US agencies are now required to implement enhanced vetting procedures for all Israeli nationals seeking access to classified US military installations and procurement programs. At least three joint US-Israel defense projects, including a co-development missile defense program, have been placed under administrative review.

The timing is acutely sensitive. Israel is simultaneously engaged in the Gaza conflict, ongoing operations in Lebanon, and a confrontation with Iran that has entered its 100th day. The US has provided the bulk of Israel’s military resupply and diplomatic cover at the UN Security Council.

Congressional reaction was swift and bipartisan in its alarm. The Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled a closed-door briefing for Tuesday. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), the committee’s ranking member, said he had been “deeply troubled by these reports for weeks” and called the Pentagon’s determination “long overdue.”

Relations between the US and Israel have been under strain since January, when President Trump ordered a halt to offensive weapons transfers to Israel over civilian casualty concerns in Gaza. Two shipments were resumed in April following what the White House described as Israeli compliance with humanitarian obligations — a claim the UN disputed.

The Pentagon’s elevation of the espionage threat was first reported by The New York Times on Saturday.

Written by Layla Hassan, Middle East Correspondent