Iran sent ‘operational trigger’ signal to activate sleeper cells after Khamenei’s death: Report

Iran may have issued a possible “operational trigger” intended to activate sleeper agents abroad after the start of the war involving the United States and Israel, according to an encrypted message intercepted by Washington.

Heavy US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran have continued for more than a week, while Tehran has launched retaliatory attacks against Israel and Gulf countries. Israel has also expanded its campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, as the group continues firing rockets into Israel.

Iran may be activating sleeper cells

According to a report by ABC News, the intercepted encrypted message may have been an “operational trigger” meant to activate “sleeper assets” overseas.

The coded signal was reportedly transmitted after the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on February 28. The message appeared to contain instructions for “covert operatives or sleeper assets,” citing a federal alert sent to US law enforcement agencies.

The alert warned the transmission could “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country.”

Officials said the message was encrypted and likely intended for “clandestine recipients” possessing the necessary decryption key. Such signals are designed to pass instructions to covert operatives without relying on internet or mobile networks.

US intelligence agencies detected a broadcast station repeatedly transmitting the message to several countries outside Iran.

“While the exact contents of these transmissions cannot currently be determined, the sudden appearance of a new station with international rebroadcast characteristics warrants heightened situational awareness,” the memo said.

Authorities said there was “no operational threat tied to a specific location,” but urged law enforcement agencies to step up monitoring of unusual radio-frequency signals.

US officials step up security

Counterintelligence experts have warned of the possibility of retaliatory attacks inside the United States linked to the conflict with Iran.

“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,” said Chris Swecker, a former assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Following US strikes on Iran on February 28, FBI director Kash Patel said he had ordered counterterrorism and intelligence teams to go on high alert and mobilise additional security resources.

US President Donald Trump, when asked about the possibility of an Iranian attack on the US mainland, said authorities were preparing for potential threats.

“We think about it all the time. We plan for it… some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, officials in major US cities including Los Angeles, Miami and New York City have announced increased patrols around sensitive sites such as places of worship, cultural centres and schools.