Iran has potentially sent out “an operational trigger” to activate “sleeper assets” across the globe as the war with the U.S. and Israel escalates, according to a report.
The U.S. has intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that were sent out following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli attack on February 28, ABC News reported, citing a federal alert sent to law enforcement agencies.
The message could “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country,” the alert warned.
The alert noted that the transmission was “likely of Iranian origin.”
“While the exact contents of these transmissions cannot currently be determined, the sudden appearance of a new station with international rebroadcast characteristics warrants heightened situational awareness,” the alert added.
The alert cautioned that there is currently “no operational threat tied to a specific location.”
Law enforcement agencies have been called by the U.S. to increase their monitoring of suspicious radio frequencies following the U.S. interception of the encrypted message.
Sleeper assets, also referred to as sleeper cells, are spies or terrorists hiding out in other countries who often live quiet and unassuming lives until they are called to act on a mission.
The U.S. ramped up its monitoring for Iranian sleeper cells last June, after President Donald Trump ordered strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites.
New warnings of sleeper assets were issued after the U.S. and Israel began carrying out military airstrikes on Iran February 28.
Dozens of Iranian officials, including the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed in initial strikes. Iranian officials announced Sunday that his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, would be his successor.
The conflict has widened across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating against Israel and U.S. military bases and allies in the region. At least 10 countries have been targeted through Iran’s retaliatory strikes and drone attacks, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Iranian forces have also struck U.S. bases or intercepted assets in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, according to the report.
U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 1,230 people in the country, according to the Associated Press. Seven U.S. service members have also been killed in the conflict.
Trump said Monday the U.S. and Israeli campaign in Iran could conclude sooner than he previously expected. He told CBS News he thought the war is “very complete, pretty much.”
“They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force,” he said. Trump added that the U.S. is now “very far” ahead of the four to five week timeline he previously gave for ending the conflict.
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