The United States is warning of an “increasingly brazen” Iran, accusing the government in Tehran of using its growing network of proxies and hackers to target both America and Americans, even on U.S. soil.
Previous assessments from the U.S. intelligence community and the U.S. military have consistently called out Iran for its support of terrorism and what they have described as malign activities, in the Middle East and beyond. Only the latest warning, from the U.S. Justice Department, indicates the threat has changed even over the past few months.
“This is a threat that has evolved and increased,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, speaking virtually, told a summit Wednesday in New York, describing it as “increasingly sophisticated and multi-dimensional” and “increasingly brazen.”
“The most concerning … is the threat posed to the homeland and seeking to develop and use networks and proxies,” she said, further describing Iran’s efforts to target U.S. citizens on U.S. soil as a “sea change.”
Specifically, Monaco referenced two plots last month against individuals in the U.S. — one aimed at former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and another at VOA Persian TV host Masih Alinejad.
Alinejad was also the target of a kidnap plot in July 2021, which led to the indictment in the U.S. of four Iranian intelligence operatives.
“A plot against or a threat to Americans, full stop, is unacceptable,” Monaco said, promising “very stiff consequences.”…
