Did Israel want to know the big secret of Iran policy by listening to the conversations of American officials? Why did the Pentagon suddenly raise the Israeli counter-intelligence threat to “critical” level? Was secret surveillance software secretly installed on the phones of US defense personnel? Trump-Netanyahu differences and spying allegations – Is there a bigger game going on behind the scenes?
Washington: A sensational news is coming from the world of international diplomacy and intelligence, which has shaken the foundation of the relations between the world’s two best friends – America and Israel. The US Defense Ministry (Pentagon) has raised the counter-intelligence threat assessment related to Israel to the highest level i.e. ‘critical’. Many intelligence reports of the Pentagon have made scary revelations that Israel is conducting uncontrolled spying on top American officials and none other than Israel itself.
Those closest to Trump on target: Who are those 3 big American faces?
According to ‘The New York Times’ (NYT) and intelligence reports, Israeli intelligence agencies have been aggressively pursuing eavesdropping on the top informants of the US administration who are planning a strategy to avoid war with Iran. There are mainly three big names on the radar of this dangerous Israeli surveillance:
- Steve Witkoff: Very special and special envoy of President Donald Trump.
- Elbridge A. Colby: The Pentagon’s top policy official, known for advocating a restrained foreign policy.
- Michael P. Dimino IV: One of Colby’s most trusted allies.
Senior American officials say that Israel wants to prematurely steal every secret information about President Trump’s war strategy and his changing stance on peace talks.
“Unhinged” spying: The use of burner phones in hotels and the spyware web
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) officials have termed this intelligence aggression as “unhinged” (uncontrollable and unusual). Investigation has revealed that spyware software that secretly listens to conversations was installed on the phones of many American defense personnel working in Israel or with Israeli officials.
Situation of fear: The situation has become so serious that now senior American representatives are forced to use ‘burner phones’ (temporary and untraceable phones) instead of normal phones to have secret conversations in hotel rooms during Israeli visits.
That act of Shin Bet: A listening device was installed in the Secret Service vehicle!
The surprising thing is that this spying is not happening for the first time, but this time Israel has crossed all limits. American officials reminded that this surveillance was intensified in late 2024, when the then Biden administration pressured Israel to stop attacks in Gaza.
Even before this, Israel has been caught red handed. Last year, officers from Israel’s domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet were caught trying to secretly plant a listening device in a US Secret Service vehicle. At the same time, in the year 2021, Israeli military intelligence officers themselves were caught fitting spy equipment inside the DIA headquarters in Washington.
Why are old incidents being remembered again?
This is not the first time that Israel has been accused of monitoring American institutions. In the past too, there have been reports of alleged attempts to plant listening devices and gain access to US security infrastructure. For this reason, the new report has again brought old cases into discussion. Security experts believe that if the allegations are confirmed, it would not just be a case of espionage but could also signal a crisis of trust between the two close allies.
Heated debate between Trump and Netanyahu: Will the military coordination between the two countries break?
This intelligence report has come at such a critical juncture when differences between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the situation in West Asia (Middle East) have come to the fore. According to reports, last week there was a very heated debate on the phone between Trump and Netanyahu regarding the war with Iran and Israeli military operations in Lebanon. After this new ‘critical’ warning from the Pentagon, there may now be a huge obstacle in making a joint military strategy against Iran between the ‘US Central Command’ and Israel. Sources say that angry American officials are now preparing to impose very strict and new restrictions on intelligence sharing with Israel, which can prove to be a big blow to Israel.