U.S. authorities are warning that Iran may be activating sleeper cells outside its borders following the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike. According to a federal alert sent to law enforcement agencies, intelligence officials intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran shortly after the strike. The transmissions, relayed through multiple countries, appear designed to reach covert operatives possessing the necessary encryption keys. Analysts believe the signals may function as an operational trigger intended to activate sleeper assets positioned abroad.

The alert instructs security agencies to increase monitoring of suspicious radio-frequency transmissions and to remain vigilant for possible retaliatory operations. While officials emphasized that no specific location has been identified as an immediate threat, the nature of the message has raised concerns among intelligence and law enforcement communities. Sleeper cells—covert operatives embedded in foreign nations who remain inactive until receiving instructions—have long been part of Iran’s asymmetric warfare strategy through networks tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allied militant groups.

SOURCE: ABC