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By Jenna Sundel
News Reporter
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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said she is concerned about “sleeper cells” attacking within the U.S. amid the war in Iran.
“I have very deep concerns about retaliatory attacks. I'm concerned about cyber warfare. I'm concerned about sleeper cells within the United States,” Gillibrand said on CNN Thursday.
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Why It Matters
U.S. law enforcement agencies received a federal alert saying the government intercepted an encrypted transmission believed to have originated in Iran that may serve as an “operational trigger” for “sleeper assets” outside the country, ABC News reported.
The war in Iran started on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes, resulting in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The encrypted transmission was relayed across multiple countries shortly after the leader’s death, according to ABC News.
The report comes amid growing concerns of potential attacks in the U.S. as the war continues. Mayors in several major cities have said they will continue increased law enforcement presence at religious institutions following an attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, on Thursday. The FBI is also investigating a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, as an act of terrorism.
What To Know
Gillibrand said on CNN that New York is “typically the number one terror target post-9/11.”
“We are on high alert in New York City right now. They have increased different patrols and we are making sure that our sensitive sites are protected as best we can,” the senator said.
Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X Thursday, following the attack at Temple Israel, “My thoughts are with the congregation and all who are shaken by this act of antisemitic violence. I am continuing to closely monitor the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD [New York City Police Department] will continue to deploy high-visibility patrols to Jewish religious and cultural institutions across the five boroughs.”
Gillibrand said she has a “great deal of confidence” in government fusion centers, which combine information from the Department of Defense, CIA, National Security Agency, NYPD and FBI.
“We have subverted dozens of terror attacks since 9/11,” Gillibrand said.
The FBI warned police departments in California in recent days that Iran could retaliate for American attacks by launching drones at the West Coast, according to an alert reviewed by ABC News.
"We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran," the alert distributed at the end of February said, according to the outlet. "We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack."
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom said there was no imminent threat to the state. “We’ve been aware of that information. ... It’s all about a posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios,” Newsom said Wednesday.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, in comments to reporters on Wednesday when asked if he has been briefed on Iran sleeper cells in the U.S.: "I have been, and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border, but we know where most of them are. We've got our eye on all of them, I think."
Gillibrand, also on CNN Thursday: “I have very significant and deep concerns about the American people's security. This war has not made us safer. This war has cost us over $11 billion. It's costing between $1 billion and $2 billion a day, a war that Congress has not voted for, meaning the American people have not been able to voice their views on this war through their representatives. And this illegal war is costing us dearly in lives and in resources. And I hope that our professional NYPD and FBI and national security resources will be strong and effective enough to keep all Americans safe.”
What Happens Next
Trump said the Iran war could be nearing an end and that U.S. and Israeli forces have effectively dismantled Iran’s military capabilities.
"You know, you never want to say too early you won. We won. The first hour, it was over," Trump told supporters Wednesday night during a speech at a packaging plant in Hebron, Kentucky, before adding: "We don't want to leave early, do we? We've got to finish the job."
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