DHS warns of potential Iranian sleeper cell threat at U.S. colleges
By lauraharris // 2025-06-30
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  • Following U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites on June 21, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a bulletin warning of a heightened risk of domestic terrorism from Iranian-backed operatives and radicalized individuals within the United States.
  • Authorities are particularly worried about sleeper cells, foreign agents posing as students or workers, who could be activated to carry out attacks or politically motivated violence.
  • Experts warn that Iran may exploit anti-Israel protests on American college campuses to spread influence, infiltrate movements and use the unrest as a smokescreen for disruptive operations.
  • Iran is also believed to be leveraging online platforms to radicalize vulnerable Americans, using subtle propaganda techniques similar to those historically employed by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
  • Analysts highlight the risk of previously rival terror groups uniting against the U.S., using civil unrest and digital manipulation to coordinate new strategies and sow chaos domestically.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and national security researchers are raising alarms over the possibility that Iranian operatives may be preparing to target American colleges in retaliation for recent U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. After the coordinated attacks by U.S. forces on key Iranian nuclear infrastructure on Saturday, June 21, the DHS issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin warning of an increased risk of domestic terrorism from both Iranian-backed operatives and homegrown extremists. (Related: Sources: US will enter Israel's war with Iran.) "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," the bulletin read. Of particular concern is the possibility that so-called "sleeper cells," foreign operatives who entered the U.S. under the guise of student visas or workers, may carry out attacks or politically motivated acts of violence. These individuals, often tied to foreign governments, may remain dormant for years before receiving instructions to act. The DHS bulletin does not reference any specific threats to the American public, but local, state and federal law enforcement agencies nationwide remain on high alert, urging citizens to stay vigilant as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to escalate.

Iran may exploit campus protests and social media to radicalize Americans

Aside from sleeper cells, other U.S. national security experts also warned the public about digital manipulation aimed at sowing discord on American soil. According to Barak Seener, a senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, Iran's military muscle has been significantly weakened as its traditional terror proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas struggle with funding and operational capacity. In line with this, Seener warned that Iranian operatives could infiltrate and exploit anti-Israel campus protests across the U.S., using the unrest as cover while simultaneously deploying cyber warfare tactics to spread disinformation on social media. "Much of the opposition to U.S. foreign policy toward Israel and Gaza has been people that have been coming to the [country] on student visas," Seener said. "They're not U.S. nationals. And, yet, they're able to create a disturbance and contribute to an enormous disruption." Similarly, Paul Mauro, a retired New York Police Department (NYPD) executive officer with the Intelligence Operations and Analysis Bureau, highlighted the Iranian regime's potential to use social media and online platforms to radicalize Americans to cultivate homegrown terrorists from the ground up. "That is a real low-rent, easy-to-run operation," Mauro said. "You get somebody who is leading a slipping down life [who] doesn't have much of an identity, somebody who is looking for a persona, and you give them one. It's subtle, and it's a seduction process." Although such propaganda tactics have traditionally been associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Mauro noted that shifting digital dynamics are reshaping how extremist groups can operate and wage attacks. At the same time, Mauro emphasized the growing risk of disparate terror organizations uniting around shared enemies, forming new alliances and strategies to target the U.S. and its allies. "Right now, the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Mauro said. "You could have the kind of elements that previously, people in remnants of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Syria, Iraq could [be] figuring right now that America is going to be a soft target because you have all this unrest among the progressives." Watch this episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about how Trump is making peace in the Middle East.
This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com FoxNews.com Brighteon.com
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