Pro-Hamas activists gather in Washington Square Park for a rally following a protest march held in response to an NYPD sweep of an anti-Israel encampment at New York University in Manhattan, May 3, 2024. Photo: Matthew Rodier/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Tuesday warned that “actors tied to Iran’s government” have encouraged and provided financial support to rampant protests opposing Israel’s defensive military operations against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Haines argued that Iran has sought to expand its “influence efforts” with the objective of sowing distrust in American institutions. According to the US intelligence chief, Iran has deployed online influencers to push narratives that advance their goals of undermining the United States and fomenting hatred against Israel.
“As I noted in testimony to the Congress in May, Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, as we have seen them do in the past, including in prior election cycles,” Haines said. “They continue to adapt their cyber and influence activities, using social media platforms and issuing threats. It is likely they will continue to rely on their intelligence services in these efforts, as well as Iran-based online influencers, to promote their narratives.”
Haines continued, claiming that Iranian “government actors” are capitalizing on rising anti-Israel animus by weaponizing social media against the Jewish state. Iranian agents, pretending to be social media influencers, are allegedly encouraging and financing protests against Israel.
“In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years,” Haines said. “We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters.”
The US intelligence community has consistently labeled the Islamist regime in Iran, the chief international backer of Hamas, as the world’s foremost sponsor of terrorism. Iranian leaders have long declared their goal of destroying Israel.
In her statement, Haines said that many of the individuals participating in anti-Israel protests “may not be aware that they are interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government.”
Iran’s support for anti-Israel demonstrations in the United States is well documented. The regime’s so-called “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly heaped praise on anti-Israel protesters on college campuses, referring to the demonstrations as a “courageous, humane resistance movement.”
Meanwhile, Iranian news outlets have allegedly mounted a high-pressure disinformation campaign against Israel, weaponizing false claims of “genocide” against the Jewish state. Leaked documents from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an internationally designated terrorist organization, reportedly revealed that Iran has played an integral role in organizing anti-Israel protests since Oct. 7, including efforts to incite violent demonstrations and launch economic blockades across America and Europe.
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