‘Heightened threat environment’: DHS warns of cyberattacks and possible violence after Iran strikes

The Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning of a “heightened threat environment” across the country after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites Saturday night.

In the statement posted to its website, the National Terrorism Advisory System warned that pro-Iran actors are likely to attempt to strike the U.S. in some capacity, potentially in the form of cyberattacks. The bulletin also warned of the potential for Tehran to issue a “religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence.”

In its bulletin, Homeland Security said the Iranian threats to the U.S. homeland have persisted since the January 2020 airstrike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States. Low-level cyberattacks against U.S. networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against U.S. networks,” the bulletin says.

“Iran also has a long-standing commitment to target U.S. Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020,” it says. “The likelihood of violent extremists in the homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the homeland. Multiple recent homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to U.S.-based individuals plotting additional attacks.”

Major American cities are bracing for potential antisemitic incidents or other attacks on political and cultural sites. Police departments in New York and Washington said they were ramping up security at locations across their cities.

President Trump announced Saturday night that the U.S. had carried out airstrikes against nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan after a week of intense Israeli bombing of Iranian nuclear and military targets.

Attention now turns to a potential Iranian response, which could come in the form of attempted strikes on U.S. military personnel stationed in the Middle East.

However, the likelihood of attempted cyberattacks is also high. Cybersecurity professionals have warned of such attacks and said potential targets include critical infrastructure, elected officials and media outlets.

“Iran might first target energy and finance for maximum disruption — public pain points that cripple daily life,” Theresa Payton, who served as White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, told The Washington Times. “Remote access points for maintenance are prime targets, as Iran exploits unpatched systems. With Iran, if they have a successful cyber intrusion, they may want to make a loud, visible blow.”

• Ryan Lovelace contributed to this report.