Iran 'Sleeper Cells' Detected in West; Trump Says 'We Know Exactly About Them'

As confusion mounts with the Iran war continuing for over ten days, concerns have emerged that Iran may be sending activation signals to 'sleeper cells' stationed in foreign countries.

According to ABC News on the 9th (local time), the U.S. government recently warned law enforcement authorities that it had "intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated from Iran." The U.S. government believes these communications could be operational activation signals sent to 'sleeper agents' located outside Iran.

The communications were reportedly transmitted across multiple countries following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an airstrike on the 28th of last month. The messages were encrypted and delivered directly to recipients possessing the encryption keys—a method of transmitting instructions to sleeper agents without relying on internet or mobile phone networks.

In its alert, the U.S. government stated the communications "may be intended to activate or instruct sleeper agents deployed outside the originating country," while adding that "there is no operational threat associated with any specific location at this time."

Experts have expressed concern about the possibility of sleeper cells carrying out retaliatory attacks in the West, beyond the Middle East, following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. While not systematic terrorism, shooting incidents by Iran sympathizers have continued. On the 1st of this month, a Senegalese national wearing an Iranian flag shirt engaged in a shootout in Austin, Texas, killing three people. On the 3rd, bullet marks were discovered at a synagogue in Toronto, Canada, prompting a police investigation.

President Donald Trump emphasized he is "watching very closely" regarding the possibility of sleeper cell attacks. Should sleeper cell attacks commence amid rising U.S. military casualties, the scope of war damage—previously confined to the Middle East—could expand significantly, potentially worsening public opinion. At a press conference that day, President Trump stated, "We have very precise information about them."