The head of the US intelligence community has warned that “acts linked to the Iranian government” are funding and fuelling anti-Israel protests in the US in an “increasingly aggressive” campaign.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines issued a statement on Tuesday warning Americans of “concerning Iranian activities” and saying Iranian government officials were seeking to “opportunistically exploit” anti-Israel protests.
“Iran has become increasingly aggressive in its foreign influence efforts, seeking to sow discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, as it has done in the past, including during this past election cycle,” she said. “They continue to adapt their cyber operations and influence tactics, including using social media platforms to issue threats.”
Haines argued that in recent weeks Iranian government actors have sought to exploit anti-Israel protests, using “techniques” well known to the US government.
“We are observing individuals with ties to the Iranian government posing as activists online and attempting to encourage protests and providing funding to protesters,” she said.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran on Wednesday, November 1. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via The Associated Press)
“Furthermore, Americans targeted by this Iranian attack may not be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government,” she said, adding that all Americans “should remain vigilant when engaging online with accounts or individuals they do not personally know.”
“Iran will likely continue to rely on its intelligence services in these efforts, as well as Iran-based online influencers to spread its message,” Haines added.
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People demonstrate during an anti-Israel protest in Manhattan, New York City. (Selcuk Akar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anti-Israel protests have erupted on college campuses across the country in recent months, with some claiming to support the brutal attacks on Israel by the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hamas, and others protesting Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza.
Tehran tried to claim credit for the attack as part of retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani under the Trump administration, but Hamas flatly denied the claim in a bizarre spat between pro-allied countries.
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In November, a report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) stated: 15. Support for Iran Militias across the Middle East that have “incestuous” ties with Tehran and act as its “force multiplier” against Israel and the US
“The report’s authors are not just talking about the future of the economy,” said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at FDD and co-author of the report. The root of the problem The greatest threat the United States faces in the Middle East is the Iranian regime, which has only hostility toward the United States.
“[A]And until we start hearing that from the administration, there will be confusion,” Roggio said.
“The American people do not understand this type of war because the US government is ready to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran, among other things, to treat Iran as a responsible actor in the international community,” he said.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
