Upcoming presidential election faces continued threat assessment, according to recent DHS report.
The yearly analysis issued Wednesday alerts of potential threats from extremist violence fuelled by America's intense political climate, alongside foreign and domestic dangers posed by terrorist groups and those inspired by international conflicts. This announcement coincides with an ongoing conflict in the Middle East following Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and initiation of land operations in Lebanon. In response, Iran retaliated by launching approximately 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday.
A senior Department of Homeland Security representative informed reporters on Wednesday that they're still deciphering the repercussions of Iran's aggressive action against Israel on its security within the US.
The official advised, "Obviously, recent developments in the Middle East over the past year have amplified this heightened threat environment and continue to do so. We're constantly working to evaluate and monitor international occurrences to appraise their influence on home soil."
The official further suggested that the Iranian attack, coupled with the anniversary of Hamas' October 7 assault on Israel last year, could motivate certain violent extremists within the US to expedite or instigate actions that might not have been previously anticipated.
"We're still in the initial stages of understanding Iran's true motives," the official admitted.
According to officials and the report itself, the objectives of Iran and other nations include sowing dissent and turmoil in the US 2024 presidential election.
The report maintains, "China, Iran, and Russia will employ a blend of covert, clandestine, criminal, and coercive tactics to exploit fresh opportunities to undermine trust in US democratic institutions and domestic unity."
Sabotage in elections takes numerous forms, according to the department's report, including voter misinformation disseminated by foreign actors aiming to mislead voters regarding voter locations and times.
In terms of cybersecurity, US officials anticipate that Chinese government-backed hackers will persist in infiltrating vital US computer systems in preparation for potential hostilities against the U.S., according to the report, highlighting this as a major concern. FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Congress in January that these hackers are readying to inflict widespread damage and real-world harm should China decide to assault US critical infrastructure.
Potential threats, however, might originate internally within the US, as they did in 2020.
"We've documented threats against election workers, we've seen white powder letters dispatched to election workers to intimidate them," the official divulged. "And we're worried that election workers, on Election Day, may be subjected to threats."
The report instilled the apprehension that during the election, domestic violent extremists "will pose the most substantial physical risk to government officials, voters, and elections-related personnel and infrastructure, including polling stations, ballot box locations, voter registration sites, campaign events, political party offices, and vote counting sites."
The report warns that anti-government or anti-authority violent extremists, motivated by "partisan political grievances or conspiracy theories," pose the most substantial risk.
"Recently, we've observed a surge in disruptive tactics focused on harassing election officials and offices—similar to those seen in past election cycles—including fake bomb threats, swatting, doxxing, and mailing white powder letters, aimed at creating fear and hindering campaign and election operations," the report asserts.
CNN's Sean Lyngaas contributed to this report.
In light of the escalating tensions in the Middle East and the Iranian retaliation against Israel, the ongoing political climate in the United States could potentially serve as a recruitment tool for extremist groups within the country.
Given the heightened threat environment resulting from international conflicts and political discord, it's crucial for officials to monitor potential threats to domestic election security, including cyber attacks and disruptive tactics aimed at election workers and offices.
