U.S. media report Israel has stepped up surveillance of senior U.S. officials to
obtain first‑hand intelligence on U.S.–Iran negotiations; the Pentagon’s Defense
Intelligence Agency in recent weeks raised Israel’s counterintelligence threat
rating from “high” to “severe.” NBC, citing multiple U.S. officials, said Israel
sought information on the Trump administration’s internal deliberations and
decisions on the Middle East; a U.S. official described the activity as far
beyond normal allied behavior. The New York Times named alleged targets
including presidential envoy Steven Witkoff and Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby. The Israeli embassy in Washington called the
reports baseless.
