A former FBI counterterrorism official has issued a stark warning about the potential presence of Iranian sleeper cells embedded in rural areas across the United States, suggesting that years—if not decades—of planning may now be reaching a critical phase.
Jonathan Gilliam, a former Navy SEAL and FBI special agent with experience on counterterrorism task forces, told Fox News that these operatives may be “hiding in plain sight” within American communities, quietly positioned for activation amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
“Where these sleeper cells may be is in plain sight,” Gilliam said. “And that’s the real terrifying part… putting people in place, as we’ve seen over the past four years, everyone’s scrambling because certain amounts of people could come in here and get in here.”
He directly linked the perceived threat to the Biden administration’s border and asylum policies, which he argued have allowed Iranian nationals to enter the U.S. without adequate vetting. U.S. Border Patrol data confirms that from 2021 through 2024, 1,504 Iranian nationals were apprehended—729 of whom were released into the U.S. pending asylum hearings.
The warning comes just weeks after U.S. forces launched strikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites on June 22. In response, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin urging federal, state, and local law enforcement to remain on high alert.
The bulletin specifically warned of an increased risk of lone-wolf or cell-based attacks if Iranian leadership calls for retaliation on U.S. soil.
“The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase,” DHS warned. It also cited Iran’s long-standing interest in targeting U.S. officials connected to the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Gilliam emphasized the strategic vulnerability of rural America. “There is a possibility that sleeper cells could target more rural states instead of a large city,” he said. “Considering the evolution of attacks by fundamental Islamic attackers in places like Israel and India, a similar scenario could happen here—at an outdoor concert, a festival, or even a popular vacation destination.”
The FBI has reportedly arrested 670 Iranian nationals since the escalation of hostilities, including former members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s elite military force loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Among them are individuals with sniper training and military intelligence backgrounds.
