US Warns Iran May Activate Sleeper Cells Abroad

WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – U.S. officials have intercepted encrypted communications believed to be of Iranian origin, raising concerns that Tehran may be preparing to activate sleeper cells or covert operatives stationed outside the country. The alert, issued to law enforcement agencies, suggests these transmissions could serve as an “operational trigger” following the recent death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Encrypted Communications Raise Alarm

The U.S. government alert, reviewed by ABC News, details the interception of encoded communications that appear to have originated in Iran. These messages were relayed across multiple countries shortly after the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack on February 28. The transmissions were not sent via the internet or cellular networks, but rather through encrypted channels, a method often used to impart instructions to “clandestine recipients” or “covert operatives or sleeper assets” who possess the necessary decryption keys.

Potential Retaliation Signal

While the exact contents of these transmissions remain undetermined, the alert notes that their “sudden appearance of a new station with international rebroadcast characteristics warrants heightened situational awareness.” This development aligns with prior fears expressed by law enforcement officials that Iran might deploy sleeper cells in the West as a retaliatory measure for the strike that killed Khamenei. The alert explicitly states that while there is “no operational threat tied to a specific location,” law enforcement agencies have been instructed to enhance their monitoring of suspicious radio-frequency activity.

Heightened Vigilance for Law Enforcement

The intercepted communications are characterized as potentially intended to “activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country.” This indicates a possible shift in Iran’s approach to covert operations, moving from passive positioning to active engagement. The alert’s careful wording, emphasizing “preliminary signals analysis” and the inability to determine exact contents, underscores the preliminary nature of the findings while still necessitating a precautionary stance. Federal authorities are urging increased vigilance among law enforcement agencies to detect any unusual patterns of activity that could indicate the activation of these sleeper cells.

The interception of these communications, particularly in the sensitive geopolitical climate following Ayatollah Khamenei’s death, suggests a potential escalation in Iran’s covert operations strategy, moving from passive readiness to active deployment of assets abroad.