Iranian Sleeper Cell Fears Emerge in U.S. After Iran Bombing

Sleeper cells in the U.S. have been a legitimate concern since multiple groups of terrorists used planes to fly into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Talk about possible sleeper cells has emerged anew in the wake of the U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear sites, although none have been confirmed.

Sleeper cells are groups of terrorists who are already in the U.S. and are operating beneath the radar, waiting to be activated. The degree to which they really exist, if at all, is unclear, but officials and experts have been broaching the possibility due to the conflict with Iran.

According to CBS News, the FBI "increased efforts to monitor possible domestic sleeper cells linked to Hezbollah," which was described as "a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization backed by Iran." Top officials have warned that they are concerned sleeper cells exist and might be activated due to the U.S. bombing, the New York Post reported.

Jonathan Gilliam, a former FBI special agent, told Fox News that he was concerned about the possibility of sleeper cells operating in the U.S.

"With the way that our border was down for four years, there could be cells here that could be activated by Iran or proxies and groups that are loyal to Iran," he said several days before the U.S. attack on Iran's sites was launched. However, he was speaking in anticipation of it.

"Security analysts fear that Iranian sleeper cells, long suspected to be lying low in Western nations, could be preparing for activation," the Economic Times of India reported.

However, the fears have not resulted in concrete confirmation.

Fox Baltimore, which reported that law enforcement has been increasingly raising concerns about potential Iranian sleeper cells, noted, "No new sleeper cell plots have been publicly disclosed."

Related: Reza Pahlavi, Son of the Last Shah of Iran, Speaks Out

Iranian Sleeper Cell Fears Emerge in U.S. After Iran Bombing first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 22, 2025