In a recent interview on CBN News, Sean Durns, senior research analyst at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), issued a concerning warning: Iranian sleeper cells are active within the United States — and they have been for decades.
“Iran does have sleeper cells in the United States and they’ve had them for many years,” Durns said. “It’s a key component of the regime’s statecraft. They use it to threaten dissidents, to harass critics, and in some cases, to murder them.”
Terror Ties and Foreign Plots
Durns explained that this tactic isn’t new for the Islamic Republic, whose strategy of using covert operatives dates back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “Since its creation… they have used sleeper cells, Iranian operatives on foreign soil to murder and harass critics,” he said.
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He cited a chilling historical example: “Perhaps most infamously in Germany in the early 1990s when there was a group of Iranian Kurdish dissidents who were murdered in a Greek restaurant. This was a big scandal at the time… and it resulted in Iran’s ambassador to Germany at the time being expelled.”
Espionage and Terrorism on U.S. Soil
Addressing the nature of these sleeper cells, Durns clarified, “It’s both. They do commit acts of espionage. That is absolutely something the sleeper cells do. They do work with terrorist groups.”
He continued, “Iran is the chief state sponsor of terrorism — perhaps most infamously with Hezbollah, which has its own external security apparatus… that Iran can harness.”
/**/Durns noted recent developments as well: “There are people that were linked to the regime that were spying on U.S. bases in Britain. This was just uncovered the other week.”
U.S. Crackdown and ‘Midnight Hammer’
In light of the recent U.S. airstrikes that destroyed Iranian nuclear infrastructure, many have questioned why sleeper cells haven’t retaliated. According to Durns, swift action by the Trump administration helped prevent possible attacks.
“Over the weekend, the FBI was alerted shortly after the U.S. airstrikes… and so was DHS, which committed a large roundup, apprehending roughly a dozen or so that have been announced,” he said. “Some of whom have links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Some of whom were found to be illegally carrying arms, who are suspected terrorists.”
He confirmed, “These are people that have been residing on American soil, in some instances for years.”
Strength Matters in the Middle East
When asked about the importance of projecting strength, Durns was clear. “Weakness is provocative. That’s always the case in foreign policy, and it’s certainly the case in the Middle East,” he said. “This regime now sees that there’s an administration that’s in power that is acting proactively to quash this threat.”
He added, “Kindness is something that is foreign to the Islamic Republic and its operatives. These are tyrants. These are bullies. And they respond like most bullies — only to force.”
U.S. Holds the Advantage
While acknowledging Iran’s skill in terrorism and asymmetric warfare, Durns dismissed their conventional military power: “Iran is an actor that is great at terrorism… they’re not a conventional military power. Their conventional military is middling at best.”
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“The power rests with us, and what has been missing has been the will. But with this administration, that’s no longer the case,” he concluded.
As tensions escalate in the Middle East, the interview serves as a powerful reminder of the threats facing the United States, and the importance of standing strong with allies like Israel in confronting radical regimes.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
