US Heightens Alerts on Iranian Sleeper Cells

U.S. officials have heightened alerts over the potential presence of Iranian-linked sleeper cells within the country, following the interception of more than 1,500 Iranian nationals at the southern border from fiscal year 2021 through 2024. The concerns have intensified amid ongoing military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets, prompting fears of retaliation on American soil.

Authorities report that approximately half of those intercepted individuals, around 700 to 729, were released into the United States pending immigration proceedings. Officials acknowledge uncertainty about how many others may have crossed undetected, a factor lawmakers have described as particularly troubling. "We have no idea how many people got around, obviously. The numbers are deeply concerning," said Senator Bill Hagerty, a Tennessee Republican and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The warnings stem from a combination of border security data and recent intelligence developments. Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, have intercepted encrypted communications believed to originate from Iranian sources. These messages, detected in...