The Trump administration has raised alarms about Iranian “sleeper cells” potentially active within the United States, a warning issued in light of Tehran’s response to recent strikes on three nuclear facilities.
Sleeper cells are often described as covert foreign operatives living normal lives until they’re activated to execute missions or attacks.
According to NBC News, shortly before the strikes, Iran issued a message to President Trump that included threats of sleeper terrorist attacks as retaliation.
Former national security officials urge that this threat shouldn’t be dismissed, even if it seems less probable compared to other forms of Iranian retaliation. “They function that way not only in the US but globally,” Leon Panetta, the former defense secretary and CIA chief, mentioned in a CNN interview. “It indicates Iran’s capacity to operate in various regions.”
Retired General Wesley Clark expressed on MSNBC his belief that Iranian agents in the US could “self-activate” in reaction to the bombings, possibly targeting specific officials or sabotaging infrastructure. Still, he noted that the likelihood of such an attack is relatively low compared to militia attacks on US forces in the Middle East.
During Trump’s presidency, Javed Ali, who previously directed terrorism initiatives at the National Security Council, commented that Iran sees little benefit in directly attacking the US. “Iran is not in a phase where they respond aggressively everywhere. That could lead to counterproductive outcomes for them,” he remarked.
Bruce Hoffman, a Georgetown professor and former executive, noted that Iranian cyber threats are a consistent issue, and these risks have likely intensified recently.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a cautionary note on Sunday about potential low-level cyberattacks from Tehran or independent Iranian hackers. Recently, hackers from Iran celebrated an attack on Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social.
The threat of Iranian activities on US soil has surfaced many times throughout rising tensions with Tehran.
The US has accused Iranian individuals of plans to assassinate former national security adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In 2011, a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US at a Georgetown café was foiled when an Iranian-American, hired by an Iranian Quds Force official, attempted to collaborate with the Mexican drug cartel. The plan failed when the Iranian-American was caught.
“It’s a surprising level of incompetence, but the resolve behind it is chilling. It could have been a significant terrorist act,” Hoffman commented.
“Often, those tasked with executing such operations seem inexperienced,” Ali added.
The Trump administration has linked recent warnings to President Biden’s immigration policies, claiming that these policies may have facilitated the entry of Iranian operatives into the country. “Sleeper cells are a genuine concern,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergham said during a Fox News interview. “This is a direct consequence of Joe Biden’s open border approach,” he asserted.
A memo from Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott disclosed over the weekend that “thousands of Iranian citizens have crossed into the US illegally, with many likely unaccounted for.” Scott also mentioned, “While we don’t have specific, actionable threats to share, the risk from sleeper cells and sympathizers is higher than ever, whether acting independently or at Iran’s behest.”
During a Senate hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondy responded to a question from Senator Lindsey Graham (R-La.) regarding the existence of Iranian sleeper cells in the US, revealing, “We’ve arrested 1,500 undocumented Iranian nationals in the country so far.” She emphasized the need to discuss these concerns in a more classified environment.
Trump administration officials also reported the apprehension of 11 illegal Iranian residents in separate incidents, including one individual who claimed to be an Iranian Army sniper until 2021.
Having left government in 2018, one official questioned whether law enforcement is truly capable of detecting all sleeper cells. “Are there individuals under FBI investigation linked to the Quds Force or MOIS? Quite possibly,” he remarked. “But does that imply they are part of an active attack cell? That’s another question. If they are, why haven’t they been apprehended?”
