Iranian sleeper cells given coded message to assault in Western nations, US intelligence worry
The federal government alert has been sent to law enforcement agencies after the communications believed to have originated inside Iran were picked up by checkers
The messages are believed to be contain covert instructions
US boffins have intercepted encrypted messages they reckon could be used to trigger Iranian “sleeper” cells outside the country.
The federal government alert has been sent to law enforcement agencies after the communications believed to have originated inside Iran were picked up by checkers, US media reports claim.
Security chiefs say a “preliminary signals analysis” found the transmissions were “likely of Iranian origin” and were relayed across multiple countries shortly after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The supreme leader of Iran was killed in a US-Israeli attack on February 28.
The intercepted messages were encoded and appeared to be intended for “clandestine recipients” who possess the encryption key.
It is believed the messages intended to impart instructions to “covert operatives or sleeper assets” without the use of the internet or cellular networks.
It’s possible the transmissions could “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country,” according to the alert.
If correct the warning would confirm fears expressed after the US and Israel struck Iran that sleeper cells deployed around the West to carry out retaliatory attacks.
