(NewsReady.com) – The Israeli war in Gaza has caused a significant amount of unrest in the US. Protests have rocked college campuses and cities. The US Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, is now issuing a warning about the election.
On July 9, Haines warned that groups linked to Tehran are posing online as activists and encouraging protests around America. The Iranian government has reportedly provided financial support to some of the groups organizing the demonstrations. The groups are also reportedly using popular social media platforms to reach American voters ahead of the 2024 elections.
Haines said the Iranian government “is becoming increasingly aggressive” in its efforts to “stoke discord and undermine confidence” in US institutions. She explained that this was a continuation of American adversaries’ efforts to widen the divisions in the country before the fall.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed the importance of warning Americans about the actions of foreign actors so they can protect themselves against efforts to “take advantage of or coopt their legitimate protest activities.” She also warned the Iranian government that its efforts to influence the election were “unacceptable.”
Foreign actors have become increasingly involved in American elections over the last decade. In 2019, former President Donald Trump’s administration warned that foreign influencers would launch an aggressive meddling campaign in 2020. Then-Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee that China, Russia, and Iran were likely to try to use the election to “advance their interests.”
Then, in 2022, US intelligence officials warned that China was trying to undermine the elections again. Beijing specifically targeted politicians they believed were a threat to their agenda.
In the most recent warning, Haines said the Americans who Iranian actors were targeting might not “be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government.” She urged the American people to be careful and only engage with people that they personally know when they are online.
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