War in the Middle East: why Israel is suspected by the United States of spying against American officials

It’s a case worthy of a spy novel. The United States and Israel, historical allies engaged side by side in the war against Iran, quietly clash on the intelligence battlefield. On the other side of the Atlantic, NBC News and theNew York Timesrevealed on Sunday June 7 that the Defense Intelligence Agency (one of several intelligence agencies in the United States, attached to the Pentagon) has raised the threat posed by Israeli counter-espionage to the highest level. It went from “high” to “critical”. Troubling regarding a friendly country.

The honeymoon between Donald Trump and Benyamin Netanyahu seems to be well and truly over. Since the start of the war in the Middle East in February, American and Israeli interests have increasingly diverged. On the one hand, Benyamin Netanyahu wants to destroy the Tehran regime and its proxies (in particular Hezbollah in Lebanon). On the other hand, Donald Trump prefers to focus on the Iranian nuclear program. The American president wants to resolve the conflict as quickly as possible, fearing that the negative effects of this war will turn against him.

Spyware

However, Israel takes a dim view of the negotiations launched between Washington and the mullahs’ regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and put an end to the clashes which have agitated the region for more than three months. According to the New York TimesIsraeli intelligence services would have attempted to spy on American officials, including Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in charge of negotiations, as well as Elbridge Colby, a senior Pentagon official, and one of his deputies, Michael DiMino.

“Israel and the United States have long known that they spy on each other and tolerated it. But, according to some American officials, the intensification of Israeli efforts to know the American positions in negotiations with Iran has crossed a line,” writes the daily American.Â

The Defense Intelligence Agency decided to launch a report on Israeli counter-espionage after American soldiers detected that listening software had been installed on their phones while they were in Israel, reports the media.

“This is a clear sign that Israel is intensifying its efforts to sabotage any potential negotiated outcome of the war against Iran,” thinks Iranian-Swedish political analyst Trita Parsi, vice president of the Quincy Institute, on X.

“You are completely crazy”

Contacted by the American media at the origin of these revelations, the authorities of both camps categorically deny the deterioration of their relationship. An anonymous source within the White House assures that the internal Pentagon document listing Israel’s counter-espionage activities is simply false.

The Israelis, for their part, deny spying on their allies. “Israel’s intelligence activities target its enemies, not its allies. Any claims to the contrary are either erroneous or politically motivated,” a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington told NBC News.

If officially the two states continue to display their proximity, friction between Americans and Israelis is increasing. Recently, Donald Trump sharply reframed his counterpart during a heated telephone call. Netanyahu was preparing a new military operation on Beirut, despite a ceasefire signed between Israel and Lebanon under the aegis of Washington. “You’re completely crazy,” the tenant of the White House told him, furious. “Everyone hates you because of that,” Donald Trump growled. Bibi had therefore given up attacking the Lebanese capital.