A U.S. counterterrorism expert is raising alarms about a growing security risk: Iranian sleeper cells quietly embedded in rural communities across the country.
These covert operatives, believed to have been in place for years or decades, could pose a significant threat as tensions with Iran escalate.
Jonathan Gilliam, a former FBI special agent with extensive experience on joint counterterrorism task forces, warned that these operatives could be living “in plain sight” throughout America’s less-populated regions.
Recent geopolitical tensions, including targeted U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, may have triggered activation orders for these sleeper networks, heightening the potential for violence.
“The most unsettling part is that these individuals might already be here, blending into everyday life,” Gilliam told Fox News during a recent interview.
“Everyone should remain vigilant because operatives could be living alongside us, ready to act if ordered.”
Concerns about U.S. border security policies have grown, with critics asserting that the Biden administration’s approach has allowed an increased number of Iranian nationals into the country without adequate vetting.
Data from the U.S. Border Patrol shows that between 2021 and 2024, 1,504 Iranian nationals were apprehended at the border, with nearly half—729 individuals—released pending asylum hearings.
Gilliam explained, “Many