America is not just fighting the Iran war in the Gulf
Federal officials say there is no specific local plan that has been publicly approved. But security agencies in Washington, state capitals and major cities have been on heightened alert. The concern is not only about what Tehran might order directly, but also what initiatives affiliated groups or radical individuals might take on their own.
Homeland is on alert
According to USA Today, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are on a war footing following joint US-Israeli attacks. FBI Director Kash Patel said he has instructed counterterrorism and intelligence teams to remain on high alert and activate necessary security assets. Patel emphasized that Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country are working 24 hours a day to deter attacks within the country.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likewise said she is coordinating closely with federal intelligence and law enforcement partners to monitor and thwart potential threats. USA Today reported that officials declined to discuss operational details but acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
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This stance is reminiscent of previous periods of tension with Iran. Following previous U.S. strikes against Iranian targets and during last year’s brief Iran-Israel conflict, DHS issued domestic terrorism alerts regarding the growing threat environment. Cyberattacks by pro-Iran hacktivists and potential violence inspired by religious injunctions have been cited as possible risks.
Former FBI and Treasury Department counterterrorism official Matthew Levitt told USA Today that Iran has spent years honing its ability to carry out attacks abroad, including in the United States. “If there was ever a time when the regime would want to act, it would be now,” he said.
Sleeper cells and proxy networks
Security experts cited by Fox News warn that the most dangerous threat may come from Iran-backed groups that have existed in the United States for decades.
Former FBI deputy director Chris Swecker told Fox News that if Hezbollah or Hamas cells were to commit a violent act in the United States, this would be the moment. He said both organizations are supported by Iran and have had networks or sympathizers within the country since the 1980s.
Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News that the intelligence community planned for such contingencies long before open conflict broke out. He said that if the US takes a military operation alongside Israel, the internal threat environment could change significantly. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard proxies and affiliated networks have historically demonstrated the intent, and sometimes the ability, to engage in indirect retaliation.
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The Daily Mail reported that former DHS senior adviser and Secret Service chief Charles Marino issued similar warnings. Marino described what he described as a combination of threats ranging from lone wolf attackers aligned with Iran’s ideology to coordinated sleeper cells. He suggested that small teams could conduct simultaneous or near-simultaneous attacks on soft targets such as concerts, sporting events or public gatherings.
While officials emphasize that there is no specific intelligence of an impending plot, it is feared that retaliation may not require sophisticated guidance from Tehran. Some experts suggest that symbolism in Khamenei’s killing may have been motivation enough.
Lone wolves and the limits of prevention
Authorities are acutely aware of the threat posed by self-radicalizing individuals beyond organized cells.
Pack told the Daily Mail that the most immediate danger may not be the IRGC team entering the country, but rather someone already living in the US who decides to act independently. He noted that Iranian state media’s naming of American and Israeli targets could amount to provocation, even if Tehran opted for deniable forms of warfare.
One of the toughest challenges for investigators is the constitutional line between protected speech and criminal conspiracy. “The difference between ‘This person is our business’ and ‘We can blame this person’ is exactly where the danger lies,” Pack said.
Recent history underscores this concern. USA Today reported that since the 2020 US strike that killed IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, American officials have foiled at least 17 Iran-linked plots in the homeland. Federal prosecutors have filed murder charges over hiring schemes targeting former President Donald Trump and former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
Bolton told USA Today that the entire counterterrorism apparatus should be on high alert. He declined to discuss personal security arrangements but said there was little doubt the Iranian regime would seek to use every available mechanism to retaliate.
cyber fronts
Experts warn that the threat is not limited to physical attacks. Cyberspace offers another arena for retaliation.
Digital security expert James Knight told the Daily Mail there was evidence that Iranian-linked hackers were probing American systems at low to moderate intensity. So far, activity has focused on reconnaissance and denial-of-service attempts rather than major disruptions. Still, he warned that Iran-linked agents could theoretically target banks, hospitals, pipelines or power grids, even if their capabilities have been diminished by recent attacks.
DHS advisories in past Iran crises have similarly warned that cyber attacks by pro-Iran actors could occur during periods of increased tension. While there is currently no sign of disruptive digital attacks, the risk of disruption remains part of the broader threat picture.
A long shadow beyond the battlefield
Some analysts fear that the consequences of the war could last longer than the current conflict. Stefano Ritondale, chief of intelligence at geopolitical risk consultancy Artorias, told the Daily Mail that removing Iran’s supreme leader could tear the regime apart in unpredictable ways. Rather than reducing the threat, a power vacuum could produce splinter factions or new extremist organizations with transnational ambitions.
Looming over such assessments is the historical analogy with post-invasion Iraq, where the collapse of the Baathist regime fueled the rise of Al Qaeda in Iraq and later ISIS. Even if active hostilities decline, ideological networks and proxy infrastructures may survive.
For now, federal officials emphasize that there is no publicly confirmed credible plot against the homeland. Joint Terrorism Task Forces coordinate with state and local law enforcement in major cities. Sensitive areas and large-scale events are under increased scrutiny. The general message from experts is that one should be careful and not panic. As Pack told the Daily Mail, Americans must be vigilant but not afraid and not let fear achieve what Iran’s strategists hope to achieve.
Still, the risks are clear. As the war abroad intensifies and Tehran vows revenge, the possibility of retaliation reaching U.S. soil remains a key concern for national security officials. Whether through organized proxy networks, self-radicalizing actors, or cyber agents, the ripple effects of conflict are felt not only on distant battlefields but also in the calculations of those tasked with protecting the American homeland.
