US Issues Alert Over Possible Iranian Message to Sleeper Operatives

A federal alert was reportedly sent out to law enforcement agencies following the interception of an encrypted transmission believed to have originated in Iran.

The Transmission: The broadcast was sent out globally via a new shortwave radio frequency within days of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death on Feb. 28. The message began with "Tavajjoh! Tavajjoh!" Tavajjoh is the Persian word for "attention." The call to attention is followed by a string of seemingly random numbers, which is very similar to the way KGB and CIA spies once received orders. The message seemed to be for "clandestine recipients" who could decode the message using an encryption key.

Alert: ABC News (Lean Left bias) reportedly reviewed the federal alert, saying it cites "preliminary signals analysis" of a transmission likely originating in Iran. The alert said the transmission could possibly "be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country." The federal alert said that "the exact contents of these transmissions cannot currently be determined" and there is "no operational threat tied to a specific location," but added that "the sudden appearance of a new station with international rebroadcast characteristics warrants heightened situational awareness."

Southern California: The Los Angeles Times (Lean Left) noted that Southern California hosts "more than 700,000" people of Iranian descent, "the largest single population outside Iran." The article said that as the US and Israeli offensive continues in Iran, federal counterterrorism authorities have warned "that the desperate theocracy could launch retaliatory strikes on American soil using sleeper cells, affiliated Iranian terrorist groups, lone wolf sympathizers or targeted cyberattacks." The outlet also noted the investigation over possible terrorism motivations for the mass shooting in Austin, Texas, where 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne killed two people and injured 14 while wearing a hoodie that read "Property of Allah," and a t-shirt depicting the Iranian flag.

"Democrat Shutdown": The National News Desk (Right) highlighted President Donald Trump's statements concerning the "Democrat Shutdown" of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS funding has been halted since Valentine's Day after members of Congress failed to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement measures. Trump said "One of the things we have to do is get the Democrats to stop the Democrat shutdown because as you know, the apparatus that looks into that [terrorism and threats to the US homeland], (Sen. Chuck) Schumer (D-NY) and the Democrats have shut it down."  Trump also noted that the threats came into the country under the Biden administration. The New York Post (Lean Right) cited former assistant FBI director Chris Swecker, saying "If ever there's going to be a Hezbollah cell or a Hamas cell act in the United States in a violent way, it's now."   

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