Iran sent a message to President Trump threatening to activate US-based sleeper cells should he order strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, NBC revealed on Sunday, not long after the US struck three facilities.
Given the strikes took place, The Jerusalem Post reached out to US security and community security bodies to ascertain whether the news of Iran-sponsored threat on US soil is new or long-awaited.
Michael Masters, CEO of the Secure Community Network (SCN) – the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America – said “Iran would not strike in the US unless a red line was crossed."
"That red line was assessed to be direct military engagement, especially targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. That red line has now been crossed.”
In Masters' threat analysis, he explained that SCN has long known the risk of Iran proxy groups and sleeper cells being activated as a result of the war in the Middle East, but that threat has become very real and present as a result of the US's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
While such a state-sponsored Iranian threat hasn't manifested on US soil until now, it does not mean that Jewish security organizations have not been preparing for it, Richard Priem, the CEO of the US-based Community Security Service, told the Post on Monday.
CSS is a national non-profit that works to ensure the security of US Jewish communities. It also provides security training to its 5000 active volunteers (have trained about 20,000 up to today). The organization stays somewhat away from public media attention, but Priem stressed that just because not all threats receive publicity, doesn't mean that they didn't take place - CSS has actually responded to 700 incidents over the last few years.
Priem told the Post that there are different angles to the threat against Jewish communities, including the threat from white supremacists, black Hebrew Israelites, "emotionally disturbed individuals with a history of attacking Jews," organized terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, and semi-state sponsored terror like from Hezbollah.
US Jewish communities have been targeted by a variety of these threats in recent years. In 2019, a man who had expressed interest in Black Hebrew Israelites attacked Orthodox Jews celebrating Hanukkah in Monsey, killing one and injuring several. Then there are white nationalist conspiracy-lead antisemitic attackers such as the perpetrator of the Tree of Life shooting which led to the murder of 11 Jews. Most recently was the incident in Boulder, Colorado, where an pro-Palestinian Egyptian man throw Molotov cocktails at Jewish participants of a release the hostages rally.
While Priem told the Post that "the possibility of direct involvement from foreign threats [such as from Iran] is another level," he stressed that CSS has been aware of the possibility "for years."
"The entire spectrum of threats have manifested themselves in the US except for maybe semi-state actors, although the general consensus is they do have a presence in the US."
He cited incidents such as the Hezbollah-linked bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in Buenos Aires in 1994, something of which nature thankfully hasn't happened in the US.
"Just because it hasn't knowingly happened yet in the US doesn't mean we haven't prepared for it. If there is a possibility that state-sponsored actors will act on US soil this is a likely time to do it."
For CSS, even with the news of the potential activation of Iranian sleeper agents on US soil, there will be "nothing different in terms of training, how volunteers perform on shifts."
"Are we doing anything differently? To some extent no, because we are always preparing teams to respond to security threats," he told the Post. Nevertheless, he said CSS will ensure all its volunteer teams refresh their knowledge so they can "be on top of their game" at all times.
What Priem said is needed the most is a "mindset shift" in the Jewish community.
"The DC shooting and the attack in Boulder show us that the mindset needs to change in that we are seeing more and more Jewish events and communities that didn't see themselves as potential targets."
Security is not at forefront of planning for cultural, communal events
Unlike synagogues in the US which often have existing security, cultural and communal events often don't consider this aspect.
"We want people to know that there are groups and individuals out there who want to target Jews for being Jews, they don't care if you are going to JCC or a cultural event."
He urged any event being publicized to include security measures in their preparations.
"Often rallies - like the one in Boulder - are focused on maximum attendance, what they should advise participants, what route they should take. They don't expect to be the target of a terror attack."
"We need that mindset shift incorporated at large to fit with the elevated threat environment."
"Then, should the unthinkable happen, they can put measures in place to mitigate its impact," he added, stressing that everyone should adopt a 'see something, say something,' policy.
Iran-linked threat on US soil has been warned of for some time by US Intelligence bodies. In March 2025, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Senator Tom Cotton told the Senate Select Intelligence Committee Hearings to Examine Threats that "Iran also continues its decades-long effort to develop surrogate networks inside the United States to threaten US citizens."
Additionally, the Director of National Intelligence wrote in its 2025 Annual Threat Assessment that "Iran’s growing expertise and willingness to conduct aggressive cyber operations make it a major threat to the security of US networks and data."
Additionally, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott released a memo to his organization just this Saturday saying the threat of sleeper cells in the US has “never been higher,” despite there being no current specific threats.
"Thousands of Iranian nationals have been documented entering the United States illegally and countless more were likely in the known and unknown got-a-ways.”
“Though we have not received any specific credible threats to share with you all currently, the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran has never been higher."
On Sunday, shortly after the strikes, the Department of Homeland Security released a a bulletin stating that the ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States.
It claimed that low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are "likely."
It also added that Iran also has a "long-standing commitment to target US Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020."
"The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland."
The bulletin specifically mentioned the antisemitic or anti-Israel nature of recent terror attacks on US soil, adding that "the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks."
DHS added that US law enforcement has disrupted multiple potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots in the United States since 2020.
Michael Balboni, former Homeland Security advisor for New York state and a cybersecurity expert, told Fox News Digital "The challenge that the United States has had after a very long period of time, [is that] we had an open border."
"Tens of millions of people came across and we don't know who they are, where they came from, what their capabilities are or their intentions."
Mayor Eric Adams told NBC that NYPD are on "heightened alert" amid concerns of retaliation on US soil following the strikes, and that while there are no notable threats to the city, the danger posed by "lone wolves" remains.
He added that police are giving extra attention to locations tied to Jewish and Persian communities, adding "We want to make sure no lone wolf attacks happen at those locations."
The Jerusalem Post reached out to NYPD, LAPD, and the CIA for comment.