Latest news with #Iranian-backed
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Ex-CIA agent describes what spies in Middle East will be doing amid ceasefire
Missiles were launched by the United States to blow up Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend and with tensions simmering in the middle East, a former CIA agent has said what spies are aiming to do now An ex-CIA agent has told what the main focus will be for spies in the Middle East after the missile attacks on nuclear sites and spoken of her fears about what Hezbollah and Hamas will do next. Brittany Butler Jennings, 41, worked as a targeting officer for nine years in the US' Central Intelligence Agency before leaving in 2014. During her stint, she conducted meetings with terrorists to convince them to inform on their own, to help the CIA. And now speaking about the Iran and Israel conflict, Brittany said the US does not want to get involved in a regime change like they did with Iraq and Afghanistan. She said all eyes will be on Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis to see if they will reignite tensions in the region. And she said, despite early intel suggesting that the strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, CIA agents will spend the next "months" trying to ascertain how much damage was done to the Iranian nuclear programme. Brittany, from Charleston, South Carolina, US, said: "We need to keep an eye on what is going on with those proxy groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis. Will Iran tell these groups to calm down, to stop the attacks? "If they continue to accelerate or if there is a feeling that these groups will get Israel or the US back, we will see tensions rise. I don't think Iran will do anything else; they will continue to use these proxy groups to wage their war through the Middle East. Watching what these groups do will be very important." Brittany said she believes the US does not want to get involved with a regime change in Iran, especially after what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. She said that Iran launching missile attacks on US bases in the region was largely symbolic as they are "outmatched" militarily. Brittany said: "The US, we do not want to get involved in a long war like Iraq or Afghanistan. We have worked out that regime change from the outside doesn't work. We need to show that the people of Iran work it out for themselves and get a change of regime. "Iran's launch of missiles was largely symbolic; they know they are outmatched. They know they are regionally isolated, and they do not have a friend willing to bat for them." The former CIA officer said that military and intelligence agencies will be scrambling to find out the true damage to the Iranian nuclear programme. According to CNN, early intel suggests that the strikes on Iran did not completely destroy nuclear sites. She said they will also be working out whether or not Iran has other nuclear facilities that are not publicly known. Brittany said: "I still believe it's premature to assess the full extent of the damage, especially since the regime is unlikely to allow access to the site for the IAEA or international observers. "That said, it's almost certain there are undisclosed facilities, so even if some enriched uranium was destroyed, the broader threat remains very much alive. We don't know the impact that those bombs have had; it is difficult to assess whether they reached the cavity where the stockpile was kept, and how far we set the nuclear program back. "The intelligence communities will also be working out whether or not the regime is going to further radicalize, the nuclear program is the only tool the regime has in its toolbox to hold on to power." Brittany said that if Iran builds a nuclear weapon, it would have a ripple effect in the Middle East and other nations like Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iraq would want one for themselves. She said: "Our stance has been for a long time that Iran cannot have nuclear weapon capabilities. "It would set an example for other volatile countries in the Middle East. The Middle East has been a volatile and unpredictable region, the Iranians having nuclear weapons would encourage the Saudis and other countries to have nuclear weapons to defend themselves from Iran. "It starts this trickle effect that the USA is not willing to entertain. Iran fuels all those proxy groups I mentioned, who is to say that any nuclear weapon capability wouldn't get into the hands of Hezbullah, Hamas or the Houthis?"
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Homeland Security Issues One of Its Strongest Terrorism Warnings Yet for U.S.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued one of its most serious public warnings to date, alerting Americans to a "heightened threat environment" following recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The bulletin, released Sunday morning and now publicly available, does not cite specific planned attacks but outlines several emerging concerns. Among them: potential cyberattacks by pro-Iranian groups, possible retaliatory violence, and a spike in antisemitic hate crimes. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the importance of transparency during this volatile moment. "It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict," she said in a statement. This marks the latest escalation in a growing conflict that began when Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on June 13. Days later, the United States joined the offensive, targeting three nuclear facilities in what is described as a mission to eliminate "the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror." Iran responded with a barrage of missiles and drones, causing hundreds of casualties. In turn, U.S. officials are warning that the conflict could now inspire independent actors within the homeland. The bulletin notes that U.S. law enforcement has disrupted multiple Iranian-backed plots since 2020—and that the current crisis may motivate more. Perhaps most concerning, the document highlights the potential for Iran's leadership to issue a religious ruling calling for violence against the United States, a move that would "almost certainly" raise the risk of domestic attacks. Federal agencies are ramping up security nationwide. The NYPD confirmed increased deployments around religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across New York City. Meanwhile, the State Department issued a global travel advisory Monday, urging Americans abroad to exercise caution amid growing anti-U.S. sentiment. Though the advisory notes that there are currently no active plots, the government is treating the risk as urgent and evolving. In a world where threats can emerge with little notice, the warning is clear: vigilance matters now more than Security Issues One of Its Strongest Terrorism Warnings Yet for U.S. first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 23, 2025
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
ANALYSIS: Will the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel hold? One factor could be crucial to it sticking - Region
After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades. Israel and Iran both agreed to adhere to the ceasefire, though they said they would respond with force to any breach. If the ceasefire holds – a big if – the key question will be whether this signals the start of lasting peace, or merely a brief pause before renewed conflict. As contemporary war studies show, peace tends to endure under one of two conditions: either the total defeat of one side or the establishment of mutual deterrence. This means both parties refrain from aggression because the expected costs of retaliation far outweigh any potential gains. What did each side gain? The war has marked a turning point for Israel in its decades-long confrontation with Iran. For the first time, Israel successfully brought a prolonged battle to Iranian soil, shifting the conflict from confrontations with Iranian-backed proxy militant groups to direct strikes on Iran itself. This was made possible largely due to Israel's success over the past two years in weakening Iran's regional proxy network, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shiite militias in Syria. Over the past two weeks, Israel has inflicted significant damage on Iran's military and scientific elite, killing several high-ranking commanders and nuclear scientists. The civilian toll was also high. Additionally, Israel achieved a major strategic objective by pulling the United States directly into the conflict. In coordination with Israel, the US launched strikes on three of Iran's primary nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Despite these gains, Israel has not accomplished all of its stated goals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had voiced support for regime change, urging Iranians to rise up against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's government, but the senior leadership in Iran remains intact. Additionally, Israel has not fully eliminated Iran's missile program. (Iran continued striking to the last minute before the ceasefire.) And Tehran did not acquiesce to Trump's pre-war demand to end uranium enrichment. Although Iran was caught off-guard by Israel's attacks — particularly as it was engaged in nuclear negotiations with the US — it responded by launching hundreds of missiles towards Israel. While many were intercepted, a significant number penetrated Israeli air defences, causing widespread destruction in major cities, dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Iran has demonstrated its capacity to strike back, though Israel has succeeded in destroying many of its air defence systems, some ballistic missile assets (including missile launchers) and multiple energy facilities. Since the beginning of the assault, Iranian officials have repeatedly called for a halt to resume negotiations. Under such intense pressure, Iran has realised it would not benefit from a prolonged war of attrition with Israel — especially as both nations face mounting costs and the risk of depleting their military stockpiles if the war continues. As theories of victory suggest, success in war is defined not only by the damage inflicted, but by achieving core strategic goals and weakening the enemy's will and capacity to resist. While Israel claims to have achieved the bulk of its objectives, the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program is not fully known, nor is its capacity to continue enriching uranium. Both sides could remain locked in a volatile standoff over Iran's nuclear program, with the conflict potentially reigniting whenever either side perceives a strategic opportunity. Sticking point over Iran's nuclear program Iran faces even greater challenges when it emerges from the war. With a heavy toll on its leadership and nuclear infrastructure, Tehran will likely prioritise rebuilding its deterrence capability. That includes acquiring new advanced air defence systems — potentially from China — and restoring key components of its missile and nuclear programs. (Some experts say Iran has not used some of its most powerful missiles to maintain this deterrence.) Iranian officials have claimed they safeguarded more than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium before the attacks. This stockpile could theoretically be converted into nine to ten nuclear warheads if further enriched to 90%. Trump declared Iran's nuclear capacity had been 'totally obliterated', whereas Rafael Grossi, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog chief, said damage to Iran's facilities was 'very significant'. However, analysts have argued Iran will still have a depth of technical knowledge accumulated over decades. Depending on the extent of the damage to its underground facilities, Iran could be capable of restoring and even accelerating its program in a relatively short time frame. And the chances of reviving negotiations on Iran's nuclear program appear slimmer than ever. What might future deterrence look like? The war has fundamentally reshaped how both Iran and Israel perceive deterrence — and how they plan to secure it going forward. For Iran, the conflict has reinforced the belief that its survival is at stake. With regime change openly discussed during the war, Iran's leaders appear more convinced than ever that true deterrence requires two key pillars: nuclear weapons capability, and deeper strategic alignment with China and Russia. As a result, Iran is expected to move rapidly to restore and advance its nuclear program, potentially moving towards actual weaponisation — a step it had long avoided, officially. At the same time, Tehran is likely to accelerate military and economic cooperation with Beijing and Moscow to hedge against isolation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasised this close engagement with Russia during a visit to Moscow this week, particularly on nuclear matters. Israel, meanwhile, sees deterrence as requiring constant vigilance and a credible threat of overwhelming retaliation. In the absence of diplomatic breakthroughs, Israel may adopt a policy of immediate preemptive strikes on Iranian facilities or leadership figures if it detects any new escalation — particularly related to Iran's nuclear program. In this context, the current ceasefire already appears fragile. Without comprehensive negotiations that address the core issues — namely, Iran's nuclear capabilities — the pause in hostilities may prove temporary. Mutual deterrence may prevent a more protracted war for now, but the balance remains precarious and could collapse with little warning. *Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University **This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
As Iran Israel ceasefire holds, Tehran-backed hackers begin operations - target US banks, and defense sites
Iran-backed hackers have started targeting U.S. banks, oil companies, and defense firms after American strikes on Iran. U.S. authorities have warned critical infrastructure operators to stay alert for possible cyber threats. Experts say cyberattacks can spread fear and confusion, even without causing major damage. Officials are closely watching for more attacks. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Hacker groups and their actions Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Iran's cyber style Cuts in U.S. cybersecurity FAQs Even though Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, hackers who support Iran have started attacking U.S. websites. They've gone after big targets like banks, defense companies, and oil industries. Experts are worried things might get worse if the ceasefire breaks or if more hackers join U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Iranian-backed hackers began targeting American companies. The hackers are mainly attacking U.S. banks, defense contractors, and oil companies. So far, the attacks haven't caused any major damage to important U.S. systems or the economy, according to the report by AP warn things could get worse if the Iran-Israel ceasefire breaks, or if independent hacker groups join in. Arnie Bellini, a tech investor, said Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea may invest more in cyberwarfare now, since hacking is cheaper than using weapons. Bellini also said America is strong in regular warfare but very weak when it comes to digital attacks, "like Swiss cheese."Two pro-Palestinian hacker groups claimed they hit over a dozen U.S. aviation firms, banks, and oil companies. These were denial-of-service attacks, which try to shut down websites or systems by overloading them. One of the groups, Mysterious Team, posted online that they are increasing attacks, as stated in the report by AP Department of Homeland Security issued a warning about increased Iranian cyber threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency asked organizations like water plants, pipelines, and power grids to be extra is not as advanced in hacking as China or Russia, but it's known as a 'chaos agent', it uses cyberattacks to steal info, scare enemies, and make political noise. If the ceasefire continues, Iran's official hackers may stop. But independent hacker groups that support Iran could still attack. Some of these hacker groups are linked to Iran's military or intelligence. Others work alone. Over 60 such groups have been tracked, as per the report by AP hacker groups want to create fear, confusion, and economic problems. After the Hamas attack on Israel in Oct 2023, some hackers broke into an Israeli emergency alert app and sent fake nuclear missile may try more spying rather than destruction, like watching what Trump or U.S. leaders do next. Last year, three Iranian hackers were charged for trying to hack Trump's 2020 campaign. Jake Williams said Iran is still likely using its hacking tools to gather intelligence, not just attack, as sated by AP News Trump administration has reduced funding and staff for cybersecurity programs. CISA cut staff who worked on election security and reduced funding for local/state cybersecurity. Gen. Timothy Haugh, head of NSA and Cyber Command, was suddenly fired by strike on Iran's nuclear scientists showed how powerful cyber-espionage can be. Arnie Bellini donated $40 million to help build a new cybersecurity center at the University of South Florida. Bellini said the cyberwar is like a never-ending cartoon chase, 'Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner', and the U.S. can't afford to lose, according to the AP News that support Iran, including pro-Palestinian hackers.U.S. banks, defense companies, oil firms, and aviation.
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Iran's strategic blunders paved the way for humiliating defeats, experts say
Less than two years ago, Iran's government sounded triumphant. It was November 2023, just weeks after Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and a senior Iranian general was predicting that the regime and its proxy forces in Gaza and Lebanon were poised to vanquish Israel, the United States and other enemies. 'We are fighting America, Zionism and all those who are targeting the greatness and honor of the Islamic Revolution of Iran,' Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in a speech in the city of Kazvin. 'We are on the verge of conquering great heights. ... We are completely overcoming the enemies.' Now Iran is in its most precarious position since the early 1980s. Its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon have been devastated, Hamas has been eviscerated in Gaza, Tehran's nuclear sites have been heavily bombed, and Israel's military now owns the skies over Iran. As for Salami, he was killed in an Israeli airstrike this month. How Iran got here can be traced to a series of miscalculations and strategic blunders, experts and former officials say, a result of decisions made both decades and only months ago. Tehran's often obstinate diplomacy, overreliance on regional militants and shoddy security left it vulnerable to adversaries with much more powerful militaries. And at a crucial moment, the regime's leaders failed to grasp the intentions and capabilities of its arch foes in Jerusalem and Washington, with no foreign partner ready to come to its aid. 'Iran was too inflexible when it had to be less stubborn,' said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group think tank. 'It never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.' Among its more recent missteps, Iran failed to learn from how other countries managed their relations with President Donald Trump or how the ground had shifted after Israel devastated Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, Vaez said. But perhaps Iran's biggest mistake was counting on those Hezbollah proxies in Lebanon in the first place to serve as a 'forward defense' against any possible attack by Israel. That approach worked for years, and it dealt Israel a blow when it sent ground troops into Lebanon. But everything changed when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Iran had armed, trained and financed Hamas, and the group's onslaught set off a chain of events that has left the regime in Tehran severely weakened and its regional power diminished. 'I think there is a direct line from Oct. 7 to today,' said Jonathan Panikoff, a former senior intelligence official. While Israel hammered away at Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza after Oct. 7, Iran and its Hezbollah allies prepared for an eventual ground attack from Israel into Lebanon. Instead, Israel took a different tack, targeting Hezbollah's commanders and its top leader through airstrikes and booby-trapped pagers used by Hezbollah's members. Israeli forces staged only a small incursion into southern Lebanon. Alex Plitsas, a former Defense Department official with the Atlantic Council think tank, said, 'The dominoes that fell after Oct. 7th left Iran's proxy network in shambles, eroded deterrence and reduced its counterstrike capabilities.' But he said Iran failed to adapt and refused diplomatic overtures from Washington despite its increasingly vulnerable position. Seth Jones, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that after the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Tehran invested heavily in arming and training militias in the region through its Revolutionary Guard Corps, with Hezbollah as the anchor of an 'axis of resistance.' The scheme worked for decades, Jones said, but it neglected the country's armed forces, which have fallen far behind. 'What it means is that your conventional forces don't get the same level of focus,' Jones said. During Israel's air campaign, 'the Iranians were fighting an enemy that's got fifth-generation F-35 stealth aircraft.' 'They just don't have an answer to that,' Jones added. Iran has also faltered on the diplomatic front. In talks over its nuclear program, Iran's leaders stuck to an uncompromising stance mistakenly believing they could buy more time and secure more concessions from Trump, as well as his predecessor, Joe Biden, experts said. Over four years, Iran dragged its feet and delayed talks with the Biden administration, which had expressed a willingness to revive and revise the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump had abandoned in 2018, Western officials say. When Trump returned to the White House, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, offered Iran a way to continue to enrich uranium for a period of years, while other countries in the region would help it develop a civilian nuclear energy program. The Israeli government and Republican hawks were worried that Trump's offer was too generous. But Iran appeared to misread Trump, calculating that it could extend the talks over a longer period, experts and Western officials say. In the end, the billions of dollars and decades of effort Iran devoted to its nuclear program 'provided the nation neither nuclear energy nor deterrence,' Karim Sadjadpour, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on social media. Relying on Russia Apart from its regional network of proxy forces stretching from Lebanon to Yemen, Iran had long relied on the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad as its only genuine ally. But Sunni rebels ousted Assad in December, and Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers are no longer welcome in Damascus. Iran also had portrayed its increasing cooperation with Russia as a 'strategic' partnership, with Tehran providing thousands of Shahed drones for its war on Ukraine, as well as technical advice to help Moscow build the unnamed aircraft on Russian territory. In return, Iran acquired some Russian air defense systems, but promised fighter jets and other hardware never materialized. Over the past two weeks, Israel's air force destroyed Iran's radars and Russian anti-aircraft weaponry, with Tehran losing control over its airspace. Russian President Vladimir Putin made no mention of providing military assistance to Iran when he met Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in Moscow on Monday. Despite Iran's hard-line rhetoric about conquering its enemies and its extensive intelligence and security apparatus, Israel has repeatedly carried out sabotage and assassinations of top military officers, nuclear scientists, the leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the leaders of Hamas in Gaza. The operations have humiliated Iran's regime and shown that the country's intelligence services are unable to protect top-ranking officers or other key figures. 'Iran's entire investments in its forward defense, missiles program and nuclear capabilities evaporated in the course of 12 months of regional war and 12 days of war on its own territory,' said Vaez, of the International Crisis Group. 'Judging by that outcome, there is no question that Iran miscalculated at every turn.'
