A bulletin from the National Terrorism Advisory System warns of a “heightened threat environment in the United States” following the U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
The bulletin, first obtained by CBS News on Sunday morning, June 22, does not note any current specific threats, but warns that “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.”
While there are no known threats, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said, “It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict.”
“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,” Noem said in a statement Sunday.
The bulletin notes that U.S. law enforcement “has disrupted multiple potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots in the United States since 2020,” and warns “the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could also motivate violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets.”
The bulletin also warns, “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 the United States.”
The bulletin, which has now been officially shared with the public by the Department of Homeland Security, is the type of comprehensive threat assessment designed to communicate information directly to the public about threats and about “resources for how to stay safe during the heightened threat environment.”
Multiple sources tell CBS News that intelligence analysts began crafting this document earlier this month. It’s gone through many iterations, with plans to publish following any escalation in the conflict overseas or intervention by the United States.
It comes after the U.S. launched military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday evening, an operation that President Trump said aimed to stop “the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.” The president warned Iran not to retaliate and to work toward a peace deal in its war with Israel. Speaking at the White House Saturday night, Mr. Trump threatened to target other Iranian sites “if peace does not come quickly.”
Iran had previously vowed to retaliate if the U.S. joined Israel’s attack, which started June 13 with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets. More than 650 people have been killed and at least 2,000 have been wounded in Iran since then, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. At least 24 have also been killed in Israel, and hundreds wounded, in Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes, according to estimates from the Israeli military. The conflict has played out as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza continues.
“The Iranian Government has declared the United States complicit for Israel’s attack, and will almost certainly condemn direct US involvement in the conflict,” said U.S. officials in Sunday’s bulletin.
They additionally cautioned that the Israel-Iran conflict “could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks,” citing violent incidents in recent months targeting Jewish groups and institutions around the country. Federal law enforcement agencies had already issued an intelligence bulletin in early June warning that those attacks could motivate others.
Law enforcement officials in New York City said Saturday night that they were “deploying additional resources” to certain sites as a precaution. The NYPD tweeted: “We’re tracking the situation unfolding in Iran. Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners. We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC.”
In addition to the domestic security bulletin, the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide alert for all Americans traveling or planning to travel outside the country on Monday, noting that in light of the strikes on Iran, “there is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution.”
The alert urged U.S. nationals to check country-specific information on the U.S. State Department website before traveling to any destination.
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