Washington
CNN
–
The intelligence agency is reviewing known or suspect Hezbollah peers in the United States and is looking for threats that could arise as tensions in Iran rise, but there are no reliable signs of threats at this time, law enforcement officials told CNN.
The move comes amid warnings from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei about the possible impact on the US, just as President Donald Trump hammers military action against Iran and Israeli government mentioned the possibility that the Israeli government is trying to kill Iranian leaders. The US intelligence reporting agency considers the biggest danger of opposing U.S. military bases and interests to the region, but is acting with abundant care to prevent domestic threats, sources said.
The outlook for an Iranian threat within the United States has long been a concern for law enforcement officials, particularly after the US killed Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s top revolutionary security general during the first Trump administration, and Iranians vowed to retaliate against former U.S. government officials.
Last year, the Justice Department announced its arrest on suspicion of murders targeting Trump and others. The US also accused Iran-related hackers of violating the Trump campaign and raised the prospect that Iran could use cyberattacks to retaliate against the US.
The FBI is monitoring potential threats and is closely monitoring groups suspected of ties with Iran, law enforcement said. But the biggest concern remains the only wolf attack and the ongoing hit list of Iran’s current and former US authorities against Trump himself.
However, in recent years, Iran-related threats have emerged not from domestic groups related to Iranian and affiliate funding, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, but from criminal groups that may be hired to carry out attacks.
Late last year, the Justice Department accused two U.S. citizens of allegedly assisting Iranian officials in monitoring anti-government advocates in New York. The department also brought charges in lawsuits involving Afghan citizens who were tasked with carrying out assassinations of Israeli citizens in the United States, including Trump.
“There’s always a threat,” a federal law enforcement official told CNN about Iran. “The difference is when it’s concrete and reliable.”
Since the current Israeli-Iran conflict began earlier this month, security stances have increased around several key regions in the US capital, including the White House, the Pentagon and the Israeli Embassy. However, authorities told CNN these increases are part of the usual security protocols when competition of this size begins around the world.
Iran’s Nobel Peace Prize winner appeals to President Trump to stop the war
A Secret Service official told CNN that the agency is under high levels of vigilance but is currently not monitoring a new rise in reliable and practical threats from the country.
When it comes to Iran, one of the main focuses of the FBI in the US is money. The agency continues to investigate how terrorist organizations are sometimes ties with Iran to recover funds from groups in the US.
Sources stressed that while there was no current increase in the already elevated threat posed by Iran to the US, the narrative could change soon.
“It’s just dependent,” one source said about whether Trump has decided to involve US troops against Iran, adding that the assessment is being carried out continuously.
One issue that is becoming increasingly difficult for the FBI and other law enforcement groups to stop is the only wolf attack threat.
Over the past few months, the US has seen multiple attacks by singular individuals who never communicate their intentions with others or online.