{"id":9151,"date":"2025-06-19T22:45:21","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T22:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/trump-administration-boosts-monitoring-of-possible-iran-backed-cells-in-u-s-as-trump-weighs-strikes-sources-say\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T22:45:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T22:45:22","slug":"trump-administration-boosts-monitoring-of-possible-iran-backed-cells-in-u-s-as-trump-weighs-strikes-sources-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/trump-administration-boosts-monitoring-of-possible-iran-backed-cells-in-u-s-as-trump-weighs-strikes-sources-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration boosts monitoring of possible Iran-backed cells in U.S., as Trump weighs strikes, sources say"},"content":{"rendered":"<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"article-0\">\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-video embed--type-content_video is-video embed--float-none 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cy=\"50\" r=\"5\"\/><br \/>\n        <default:circle cx=\"20\" cy=\"50\" r=\"5\"\/><br \/>\n        <default:circle cx=\"35\" cy=\"50\" r=\"5\"\/><br \/>\n      <\/default:g><br \/>\n    <\/default:symbol><br \/>\n  <\/default:defs><br \/>\n<\/default:svg><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed__sticky-content lazyload\" data-component=\"viewability\" data-viewability-options=\"true\">\n<div class=\"player-overlay__container  player-overlay--draggable \" data-theme=\"default\">\n<p>\n                  <svg class=\"player-overlay--icon-grid\">\n            <use xlink:href=\"#player-icon-drag\"\/>\n          <\/svg><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"player-overlay__title\">Leavitt: Trump decision on Iran within 2 weeks <\/span><\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"player-overlay__button player-overlay__button--close\" data-target=\"\" aria-label=\"Disable small player\"><br \/>\n          <svg class=\"player-overlay__button--icon player-overlay__button--icon-close\">\n            <use 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class=\"lazyload embed__frame\" data-width=\"1920\" data-height=\"1080\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" id=\"leavitt-says-trump-will-make-decision-on-iran-within-the-next-two-weeks--hero\" title=\"Video: Leavitt says Trump will make decision on Iran within next two weeks\" data-sort-time=\"1750355370000\" data-update-time=\"1750355370000\"><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <button class=\"player-overlay__button--icon-close__mobile\" data-target=\"\" aria-label=\"Close sticky player\"><br \/>\n        <svg class=\"player-overlay__button--icon\">\n          <use xlink:href=\"#player-icon-close\"\/>\n        <\/svg><br \/>\n      <\/button><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n                              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/video\/leavitt-says-trump-will-make-decision-on-iran-within-the-next-two-weeks\/\" class=\"embed__headline-link\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>          <span class=\"embed__icon\"><br \/>\n            <svg viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n              <use xlink:href=\"#icon-video\"\/>\n            <\/svg><br \/>\n          <\/span><\/p>\n<p>          <span class=\"embed__headline\">Leavitt says Trump will make decision on Iran within next two weeks<\/span><\/p>\n<p>          <span class=\"embed__video-duration\">02:16<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                      <\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<section class=\"content__body\">\n<p>As President Trump is <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-attack-plans-iran-no-final-decision\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">contemplating<\/a><\/span> potential U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, law enforcement officials have stepped up surveillance of Iran-backed operatives in the United States, multiple sources told CBS News.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>FBI Director Kash Patel has increased efforts to monitor possible domestic sleeper cells linked to Hezbollah \u2014 a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization backed by Iran \u2014 since Israel&#8217;s Operation Rising Lion offensive began earlier this month, U.S. officials said.<\/p>\n<p>Both the White House and FBI declined to comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The threat from Iranian operatives has worried current and former administration officials since Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Mr. Trump&#8217;s orders in January 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Late last year, federal prosecutors\u00a0<span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-operative-scheme-assassinate-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">charged an operative<\/a><\/span>\u00a0of Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and two U.S.-based people with plotting to surveil and assassinate critics of the Iranian regime. The IRGC operative allegedly told investigators he was pushed by unnamed IRGC officials to plan an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/08\/nyregion\/iran-trump-assassination-plot.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">attack<\/a>\u00a0against Mr. Trump.<\/p>\n<p>For years, U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials have been concerned about Iran&#8217;s ability to direct or inspire attacks within the United States \u2014 a concern that has ramped up since Soleimani&#8217;s killing. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and others have devoted significant resources to countering the threat.<\/p>\n<p>There are a range of potential targets. In recent years, prosecutors have charged people with plotting to kill Mr. Trump&#8217;s former national security adviser\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/member-irans-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps-irgc-charged-plot-murder-former-national\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">John Bolton<\/a>\u00a0and Iranian American journalist\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-assassination-plot-masih-alinejad-3925da204c1c4c21d4aad353283019be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Masih Alinejad<\/a>, both of whom are frequent critics of Iran&#8217;s government. Bolton was granted Secret Service protection in 2021, but Mr. Trump\u00a0<span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/john-boltons-secret-service-protection-discontinued-by-trump-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">revoked his protection<\/a><\/span>\u00a0this year.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Trump is\u00a0<span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-attack-plans-iran-no-final-decision\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">considering<\/a><\/span>\u00a0whether to strike Iran&#8217;s uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, joining Israel&#8217;s weeklong campaign against Iranian <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/israel-iran-war-fordo-nuclear-site\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">nuclear <\/a><\/span>and military targets, CBS News has previously reported. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday the president will make a decision within the next two weeks, citing &#8220;a substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place&#8221; with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Iran has threatened to retaliate if the U.S. decides to strike.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- data-recirc-source=\"chartbeat\" --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"component list recirculation component--type-recirculation component--type-recirculation-collection\">\n<div class=\"component__heading-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"component__title\">The Standoff with Iran<br \/>\n                          <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/feature\/nuclear-iran\/?intcid=CNI-00-10aaa3a\" class=\"component__view-more component__view-more--lg\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\"><br \/>\n                More<br \/>\n                <svg viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" class=\"icon__caret-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                  <use xlink:href=\"#icon-caret-down\"\/>\n                <\/svg><br \/>\n              <\/a><br \/>\n                      <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>    <!-- tags --><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-author\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/team\/jennifer-jacobs\/\" class=\"content-author__name\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Jennifer  Jacobs<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-author__bio\">\n<div class=\"content-author__full-information\">\n<p class=\"content-author__text\">Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leavitt: Trump decision on Iran within 2 weeks Leavitt says Trump will make decision on Iran within next two weeks 02:16 As President Trump is contemplating potential U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, law enforcement officials have stepped up surveillance of Iran-backed operatives in the United States, multiple sources told CBS News.\u00a0 FBI Director Kash [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9151","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-political-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9151"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9153,"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9151\/revisions\/9153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunnewsusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}