The head of MI6 has issued a stark warning that the alliance between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu is steering the Middle East toward a permanent state of crisis, according to sources familiar with a classified briefing delivered to Whitehall last week. The intelligence chief, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, described the pair’s approach as a “reckless gamble” that could ignite a regional conflagration.
Uncovered documents obtained by this paper reveal that British intelligence has been tracking a pattern of covert coordination between the Trump administration and Netanyahu’s inner circle that bypasses traditional diplomatic channels. The briefing, marked “Eyes Only,” warns that this parallel foreign policy is destabilising already fragile ceasefires and empowering hardline factions.
“The concern is not just about immediate escalation but the erosion of any framework for long-term peace,” the source said. “We are looking at a permacrisis: a state of endless low-intensity conflict that benefits no one except the arms dealers and the extremists on both sides.”
The assessment comes as Netanyahu’s government expands settlements in the West Bank while Trump reportedly green-lights a secret arms package to Israel that was not vetted by the State Department. A leaked internal memo shows that US diplomats in Tel Aviv have been sidelined, with direct lines of communication established between the White House and the Prime Minister’s office.
British intelligence has also flagged a surge in disinformation campaigns originating from a Tel Aviv-based private intelligence firm with ties to Netanyahu’s Likud party. The firm, which sources confirm receives funding from US-based pro-Israel PACs, has been weaponising social media to smear Palestinian leaders and suppress dissent within the Israeli military.
The warning from MI6 is a rare public disclosure of a rift between London and its closest allies. The intelligence chief is said to have personally briefed the Prime Minister, who has since raised concerns with Washington in private calls. Downing Street declined to comment on the contents of the briefing, but a spokesperson said the UK remains committed to the two-state solution.
Critics argue that the Trump-Netanyahu axis has abandoned that solution, instead pursuing a strategy of annexation and unilateralism. Last month, the US recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a move that British intelligence says has “emboldened” Iran and its proxies, increasing the risk of a direct military confrontation.
The report also highlights economic repercussions. A confidential analysis by the Treasury projects that a prolonged conflict could cost the UK economy £2.3 billion in disrupted trade and defence spending. The figure is redacted in places, but sources confirm it accounts for increased oil prices and lost contracts with Gulf states.
The situation on the ground is deteriorating. Clashes along the Gaza border have intensified, and Hezbollah is reportedly amassing precision-guided missiles in southern Lebanon. A British military attaché in Beirut described the atmosphere as “electric with fear.”
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in London dismissed the intelligence assessment as “baseless speculation.” The Trump administration has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
But the evidence is mounting. The documents we have seen show that Netanyahu’s office has been using a private server, similar to the one that plagued Hillary Clinton’s campaign, to communicate with Trump’s inner circle. The server is not subject to oversight, and British cyber intelligence suspects it has been compromised by Russian hackers.
Sources say the British intelligence chief’s warning was met with shock in the room. “This is not a game. We are talking about the potential for a war that could draw in the entire region. And no one in Washington or Tel Aviv seems to care,” the source concluded.
The full briefing remains classified, but its contents are already reverberating through the corridors of power. The question now is whether anyone will listen before it’s too late.
