WASHINGTON – The top U.S. spy chief warned Tuesday that Iranian government officials are posing as “activists” online in an attempt to sow division in the United States ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
“Iranian government actors are seeking to opportunistically exploit ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, employing tactics long used by others,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement.
“We have observed individuals with ties to the Iranian government posing as activists online and encouraging and funding protests,” she wrote.
With just four months to go before the US chooses its next leader, Tehran is seeking to exploit the discord caused across the country by the notorious anti-Israel protests that disrupted universities and intimidated Jewish students following Hamas’ brutal massacre of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, Haines said.
Many targets of Iran’s covert operations likely don’t realize they’re succumbing to influence operations by one of America’s biggest adversaries, she said.
“Americans targeted by this Iranian attack may not be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government,” a U.S. intelligence official said. “We urge all Americans to remain vigilant when engaging online with accounts or associates they do not personally know.”
Haines added that Iran is using the tactic to “stomp down discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions” as Americans prepare to go to the polls.
“They continue to adapt their cyber and influence operations, using social media platforms to issue threats,” she said. “They will likely continue to rely on intelligence services in these operations, as well as Iran-based online influencers to amplify their claims.”
The warning comes after the Biden administration and White House have been discussing internally for months the possibility that foreign powers may be inciting the protests.
Haines said she believes Americans who rally against Israel and call for a ceasefire in the war with Hamas are not deliberately opposing Israel, but rather are the victims of an “increasingly aggressive” Iranian influence campaign abroad.
“Americans who take part in the protests are expressing their views on the Gaza conflict in good faith, and this information does not suggest otherwise,” she said.
Haines acknowledged that “the freedom to express diverse views, conducted peacefully, is essential to our democracy,” but added that it is also important to warn against foreign powers that seek to exploit our debate for their own purposes.
She said the message was the first of more to come as intelligence experts continue to track such threats to democracy in the lead up to November.
“The intelligence community recognizes the importance of informing the public about foreign attempts to influence our nation’s democratic process, which is why today we are releasing the first of our regular updates on such threats in the lead-up to this year’s presidential and congressional elections,” Haines said.
