Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf published a special bulletin via the National Terrorism Advisory System, indicating that there is no credible terrorist threat but warns Americans need to be extra vigilant for suspicious activity amid the threat of war with Iran.
Wolf tweeted Saturday, "The new @DHSgov NTAS Bulletin on the threat landscape was issued to inform & reassure the American public, state/local governments & private partners that DHS is actively monitoring & preparing for any specific, credible threat, should one arise."
The new @DHSgov NTAS Bulletin on the threat landscape was issued to inform & reassure the American public, state/local governments & private partners that DHS is actively monitoring & preparing for any specific, credible threat, should one arise. pic.twitter.com/iNnHU1TI9A
— Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) January 4, 2020
Wolf's announcement said there's "no information indicating" a terrorist attack is imminent but said Iranian government officials and military leaders have called for revenge following US airstrikes that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds military force and one of the most influential people in the country.
Red Flag: A Symbol Of Severe Battle/War To Come . #IranVsUS #سليماني pic.twitter.com/Z10FKCNA1g
— iftiAmiry (@IftiAmiry) January 4, 2020
The bulletin warned about lone wolf attacks from "homegrown violent extremists could capitalize on the heightened tensions to launch individual attacks" on soft targets. It said Iran could use Hezbollah agents to conduct terrorist attacks within the borders of the US.
It warned: "An attack in the homeland may come with little or no warning."
The bulletin also said Iran could use cyberattacks to retaliate.
"Iran is capable, at a minimum, of carrying out attacks with temporary disruptive effects against critical infrastructure in the United States," it read.
On Saturday, an Iranian hacker group breached a US government website and replaced the homepage with Iranian propaganda.
The Federal Depository Library Program's website, fdlp.gov, saw its home page replaced with an image of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Iranian flag.
"This is a message from the Islamic Republic Of Iran," the page read.
"We will not stop supporting our friends in the region: the oppressed people of Palestine, the oppressed people of Yemen, the people and the Syrian government, the people and government of Iraq, the oppressed people of Bahrain, the true mujahideen resistance in Lebanon and Palestine [they] always will be supported by us," the message continued.
The world has dove into uncharted waters – Iran has called for "crushing revenge" for Soleimani's assassination, and Trump has warned if retaliation is seen, the US will strike 52 Iranian sites.
