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The Department of Homeland Security has put out a National Terrorism Advisory Bulletin warning that the recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites have created a heightened threat environment in the US.
Some shit you should know before you read: Under both Republican and Democrat presidents, the US intel community has expressed concern about the presence of foreign-backed groups operating within the country. A few years back, the FBI revealed that China had established covert “police stations” in major US cities, including New York, allegedly to monitor, harass, and suppress Chinese dissidents living abroad. In addition to state actors, there is also a significant amount of concern surrounding terrorist organizations having “sleeper cells” within the country. Back when Biden was in office, FBI Director Christopher Wray raised concerns about the number of “gotaways”—migrants who cross the US border illegally and evade capture. In fiscal year 2023, CBP recorded more than 600,000 gotaways, prompting officials to warn that such gaps in border enforcement could be exploited by foreign adversaries or terrorists seeking to put bad actors into the US.
What’s going on now: In a bulletin issued by the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) on June 22, DHS outlined a range of possible threats, including low-level cyberattacks by pro-Iranian hacktivist groups and more sophisticated intrusions by state-sponsored Iranian cyber actors. The advisory, which remains in effect until September 22, 2025, stressed that Iran and its proxies may target US government officials, Jewish institutions, and critical infrastructure, particularly if Iran issues a religious decree or fatwa authorizing violence. The bulletin also noted that recent anti-Semitic and anti-Israel motivated attacks could be further exacerbated by the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, with potential for increased radicalization and mobilization by lone actors within the homeland.
In response, US cities have increased security around sensitive locations such as government buildings, religious institutions, and military facilities.
The advisory was issued just hours after a report from NBC revealed that prior to the attack, Iran had delivered a threat to President Trump through an intermediary during the G7 summit in Canada. According to two US officials and a source familiar with the intelligence, Iran warned that it would activate sleeper cell operatives on American soil if the United States moved forward with military action.
These sleeper cells could be ordered to carry out terror attacks, and their potential activation represents one of the most serious domestic concerns tied to the escalating conflict.
This follows a report we posted on Instagram that revealed the FBI was ramping up surveillance of Iranian-backed sleeper cells within the US (days before the US carried out the strikes).
According to CBS, citing multiple law enforcement sources, the FBI has intensified its surveillance of Iran-backed groups within the country amid growing concerns that escalating tensions with Tehran could prompt retaliatory attacks on American soil. The report specifically highlights Hezbollah, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization supported by Iran, as the primary focus of this surveillance.
The FBI and the White House declined to comment on the report by CBS.
