FBI Warns of Iran Threat

The United States — Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a 'Public Safety Awareness Report' on March 20, warning US state and local law enforcement of an elevated and persistent threat from the Iranian government to targets within the United States. These targets include US military and government personnel and buildings, Jewish and Israeli institutions, and Iranian dissidents. Despite these warnings, the United States — Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States — National Counterterrorism Center did not identify broad threats to the American public. The United States — White House, however, sought to downplay the likelihood of an attack and had previously blocked the release of a similar intelligence product. President Donald Trump publicly minimized the possibility of Iranian attacks on American soil and escalated his rhetoric, threatening an assault on Iran, though he later delayed it. The report also detailed past attempts by Iranian security services to kidnap and kill Americans, using various methods and monitoring social media to select targets. A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that most Americans oppose the war and desire a quick end to US involvement.