The Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies are likely to launch targeted attacks, including cyber operations, against the United States following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security assessment.
The Feb. 28 DHS intelligence assessment, reviewed by Reuters, says Iran-aligned “hacktivists” are expected to step up low-level operations such as website defacements and denial-of-service attacks.
“Although a large-scale physical attack is unlikely, Iran and its proxies probably pose a persistent threat of targeted attacks in the Homeland, and will almost certainly escalate retaliatory actions—or calls to action—if reports of the Ayatollah’s death are confirmed,” the DHS report states.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she was coordinating with federal intelligence and law enforcement partners to “monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland.”
The Israeli and U.S. militaries carried out preemptive airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic on Saturday morning to neutralize the threat posed by Tehran, killing Khamenei in the opening shot of the air campaign that Washington dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”
