Less than 24 hours after the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Department of Homeland Security issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin. It’s good for three months, expiring on September 22.
The advisory mentions the possibility of cyber attacks, both from the Iranian government and low-level pro-Iran “hacktivists,” as well as the potential for Iran to target U.S. government officials. It also suggests that independent “violent extremists” are more likely to mobilize here at home, especially if Iranian leaderships calls for retaliation as part of a religious ruling, particularly against people of the Jewish faith.
Here’s the full summary from DHS:
The ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States. Low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks. Iran also has a long-standing commitment to target US Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020. The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland. Multiple recent Homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks.
The advisory also goes a little deeper into details behind why DHS felt such an an advisory was necessary.
The Iranian Government has publicly condemned direct US involvement in the conflict.
- Both hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors routinely target poorly secured US networks and Internet-connected devices for disruptive cyber attacks.
- U,S. law enforcement has disrupted multiple potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots in the United States since 2020. During this timeframe, the Iranian government has also unsuccessfully targeted critics of its regime who are based in the Homeland for lethal attack.
- If Iranian leadership were to issue a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against specific targets in the Homeland, it could increase the likelihood that a supporter of the Iranian regime is inspired to commit an act of violence in the Homeland.
- Since the start of the conflict, we have seen media releases by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) — including HAMAS, Lebanese Hizballah, the Houthis, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, among others — some of which have called for violence against US assets and personnel in the Middle East because of Israel’s attack.
- The conflict could also motivate violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the US government or military in the Homeland.
DHS underlines the fact that there is no current credible threat to our country, but essentially, we must be prepared. “It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement, adding, “The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict brings the possibility of increased threat to the homeland in the form of possible cyberattacks, acts of violence, and antisemitic hate crimes.”
The agency also urges the public to “report any suspicious activity or threats of violence to local law enforcement, FBI Field Offices, or a local Fusion Center.”
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