Iranian government officials pose as ‘activists’ to sow division ahead of US election: national intelligence chief

WASHINGTON – Iranian government officials are posing as “activists” online to sow division in the US ahead of the coming presidential election, a top American intelligence officer warned Tuesday.

“Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement.

“We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests and even providing financial support to protesters,” she wrote.

With just four months to go till the US picks its next leader, Tehran is capitalizing on the discord invoked by anti-Israel protests across the country that infamously disturbed universities and threatened Jewish students in the wake of Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 massacre of Israeli civilians, Haines said.

Many of the targets of Iran’s clandestine operation are likely unaware they are succumbing to influence operations by one of the US’s top adversaries, she said.

“Americans who are being targeted by this Iranian campaign may not be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government,” the US intelligence official said. “We urge all Americans to remain vigilant as they engage online with accounts and actors they do not personally know.”

Iran is using the strategy to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions” as Americans prepare to go to the polls, Haines added.

“They continue to adapt their cyber and influence activities, using social media platforms and issuing threats,” she said. “It is likely they will continue to rely on their intelligence services in these efforts, as well as Iran-based online influencers, to promote their narratives.”

The warning comes after the Biden administration and White House for months have discussed internally the possibility that foreign actors were stoking the protests.

Haines said she does not believe that US citizens rallying against Israel for a cease-fire in its war against Hamas are knowingly working against the country but rather are falling victim to Tehran’s “increasingly aggressive” foreign influence efforts.

“Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza – this intelligence does not indicate otherwise,” she said.

While Haines acknowledged that “the freedom to express diverse views, when done peacefully, is essential to our democracy,” she added, “It is also important to warn of foreign actors who seek to exploit our debate for their own purposes.”

The message was the first of more to come in the lead-up to November as intelligence experts will continue to track such threats to democracy, she said.

“The Intelligence Community recognizes the importance of informing the public of foreign efforts to influence our democratic processes and, consequently, leading into the presidential and congressional elections this year, we are launching today the first of what will be regular updates regarding such threats,” Haines said.