ALBAWABA - Fresh discussion has erupted in Washington over intelligence activities between allies following a reported Pentagon assessment that fueled suspicions U.S. officials have grown more concerned about Israeli efforts to gather intelligence on senior American policymakers.
The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency recently updated its counterintelligence assessment, which reportedly raised concerns about Israeli intelligence activities targeting U.S. officials involved in Middle East diplomacy, according to a report by NBC News .
Israel has ramped up efforts to gather information on internal discussions within President Donald Trump’s administration, including decisions on Iran, regional security and ongoing diplomatic talks, U.S. intelligence officials believe, sources familiar with the assessment said.
The assessment described Israel’s intelligence-gathering capabilities as a “critical” counterintelligence risk, referring to both human intelligence networks and technology surveillance capabilities, the study says. Officials cited several recent occurrences that contributed to rising fears inside the Pentagon, reports said.
The move comes as policy differences between Washington and Tel Aviv become more obvious. The Trump administration has gone on pursuing diplomatic options with Iran, but Israeli leaders have questioned the value of conversations publicly and argued for continuing the military pressure on Tehran.
The issue underscores larger uncertainties about the future course of U.S. policy in the Middle East, particularly on Iran and regional security arrangements, analysts say.
Still, despite the apparent worries, intelligence cooperation between the United States and Israel remains deep. Information exchange on Iran and regional threats continues on a regular basis, demonstrating the strategic alliance between the two countries, security officials said.
The paper also said intelligence collecting among allies is not unusual. But current and former U.S. officials cited by NBC said recent Israeli activity was seen as uncharacteristically aggressive for typical information collection between friendly countries.
Israeli officials vehemently disputed the charges. The Israeli embassy in Washington said the assertions were absolutely false. The White House likewise dismissed the study and the Pentagon declined to publicly comment on the assessment.
But the row has still focused increased attention on the delicate balance between intelligence collaboration and strategic distrust even among some of Washington’s closest friends.
