The Daily Psyop

US intelligence officials have suggested that Iran is working to sow societal unrest and undermine Donald Trump’s second bid for the presidency, The Washington Post reported.

A senior official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), who remained anonymous according to intelligence agency protocols, did not name Trump but said that Iran is repeating its actions from the 2020 elections. The disclosure was made during a briefing for reporters by the ODNI. 

Officials say that four years ago Iran sought to undermine Trump to avoid further worsening relations with the US, but did not actively promote the alternative candidate, Joe Biden. It is unclear whether Iran will promote Kamala Harris.

In 2020, Trump authorised a drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and Iran in turn issued an arrest warrant for Trump.

Earlier this month, US intelligence found an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump and increased his Secret Service detail. The plot appears unrelated to the gunman that wounded Trump at a rally.

The Iranian online personas that spread disinformation focus on “stoking chaos and divisions” rather than election interference, the ODNI official said.

While Iran seeks to undermine Trump, Russia is working to support the former president just as it had in 2020 because a Republican president will be less supportive of Ukraine. China probably does not plan to interfere, officials said.

The Washington Post did not report whether or not the intelligence officials presented any evidence to back their claims. 

“Officials also noted that the US government has not detected any foreign hacking, interference or tampering with election machines and websites, though officials have seen efforts to ‘scan’ such networks,” the Post added.

The findings come weeks after a statement by US director of national intelligence Avril Haines that said Iranian agents “opportunistically take advantage of” Gaza protests.

The agents posed as activists online, sought to encourage protests and provided financial support to protesters, Haines said.

The director continued: “I want to be clear that I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza – this intelligence does not indicate otherwise.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called pro-Palestine protesters “Iran’s useful idiots” in a recent controversial address to Congress riddled with false claims.

US intelligence officials have suggested that Iran is working to sow societal unrest and undermine Donald Trump’s second bid for the presidency, The Washington Post reported.

A senior official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), who remained anonymous according to intelligence agency protocols, did not name Trump but said that Iran is repeating its actions from the 2020 elections. The disclosure was made during a briefing for reporters by the ODNI. 

Officials say that four years ago Iran sought to undermine Trump to avoid further worsening relations with the US, but did not actively promote the alternative candidate, Joe Biden. It is unclear whether Iran will promote Kamala Harris.

In 2020, Trump authorised a drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and Iran in turn issued an arrest warrant for Trump.

Earlier this month, US intelligence found an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump and increased his Secret Service detail. The plot appears unrelated to the gunman that wounded Trump at a rally.

The Iranian online personas that spread disinformation focus on “stoking chaos and divisions” rather than election interference, the ODNI official said.

While Iran seeks to undermine Trump, Russia is working to support the former president just as it had in 2020 because a Republican president will be less supportive of Ukraine. China probably does not plan to interfere, officials said.

The Washington Post did not report whether or not the intelligence officials presented any evidence to back their claims. 

“Officials also noted that the US government has not detected any foreign hacking, interference or tampering with election machines and websites, though officials have seen efforts to ‘scan’ such networks,” the Post added.

The findings come weeks after a statement by US director of national intelligence Avril Haines that said Iranian agents “opportunistically take advantage of” Gaza protests.

The agents posed as activists online, sought to encourage protests and provided financial support to protesters, Haines said.

The director continued: “I want to be clear that I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza – this intelligence does not indicate otherwise.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called pro-Palestine protesters “Iran’s useful idiots” in a recent controversial address to Congress riddled with false claims.

Israel‘s military said it carried out a strike targeting a Hezbollah commander in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, in response to a deadly attack on the occupied Golan Heights over the weekend.

Senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, who was the alleged target of the strike survived, security sources told the Reuters news agency.

At least one woman and several people were wounded by the strike, Lebanese state media reported.

Footage posted on social media showed large plumes of smoke rising above a collapsed residential building in the capital’s southern Haret Hreik neighbourhood, with several injured people receiving help and medical assistance from passersby.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the strike targeted an area near Hezbollah’s Shura Council.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it conducted “a targeted strike in Beirut on the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians”.

Both Russia and Iran condemned the strike, with the latter calling it “sinful and cowardly Israeli aggression”.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that the attack was a “flagrant violation of international law”. 

Despite the serious escalation, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US does not believe that war is “inevitable” between Israel and Hezbollah. 

Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire since the Hamas-led 7 October attacks on southern Israel, with the Iran-backed Lebanese group firing rockets at Israel in what it says is in solidarity with besieged Palestinians in Gaza. 

Tensions have been running particularly high this summer but escalated on Saturday after Israel and the US blamed Hezbollah for a rocket attack on Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the occupied Golan heights that killed 12 children and teenagers. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s response to the attack would be “severe”.

Hezbollah has denied it was responsible, saying the children were killed instead by a misfired Israeli Iron Dome air-defence missile.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Vedant Patel, the State Department’s deputy spokesman, refused to answer questions about whether Israel had informed the US about any potential strike.

“On this specific incident, I would have to refer you to partners in the region to speak to,” Patel said.

“And I’ll leave it to Israelis to speak to any planning or response that they may have in the works.”

The months-long hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have caused casualties on both sides and displaced tens of thousands of people who live near the Israeli-Lebanese border region.

In response to the attack, Dawn, a US organisation that supports democracy and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, urged US President Joe Biden to stop a regional war from erupting.

“In the days after October 7, President Biden had a message for Hezbollah: ‘Don’t.’ Now it’s time for Biden to send the same message to Israel: Don’t launch a new war in Lebanon, don’t keep evading a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, don’t assume American support if you start a regional war,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Dawn’ executive director.

“The US government should be doing everything it can to stop the escalation of the conflict and the only way to accomplish that is to exert enough pressure on Israel to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” Whitson added.

Israel‘s military said it carried out a strike targeting a Hezbollah commander in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, in response to a deadly attack on the occupied Golan Heights over the weekend.

Senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, who was the alleged target of the strike survived, security sources told the Reuters news agency.

At least one woman and several people were wounded by the strike, Lebanese state media reported.

Footage posted on social media showed large plumes of smoke rising above a collapsed residential building in the capital’s southern Haret Hreik neighbourhood, with several injured people receiving help and medical assistance from passersby.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the strike targeted an area near Hezbollah’s Shura Council.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it conducted “a targeted strike in Beirut on the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians”.

Both Russia and Iran condemned the strike, with the latter calling it “sinful and cowardly Israeli aggression”.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that the attack was a “flagrant violation of international law”. 

Despite the serious escalation, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US does not believe that war is “inevitable” between Israel and Hezbollah. 

Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire since the Hamas-led 7 October attacks on southern Israel, with the Iran-backed Lebanese group firing rockets at Israel in what it says is in solidarity with besieged Palestinians in Gaza. 

Tensions have been running particularly high this summer but escalated on Saturday after Israel and the US blamed Hezbollah for a rocket attack on Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the occupied Golan heights that killed 12 children and teenagers. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s response to the attack would be “severe”.

Hezbollah has denied it was responsible, saying the children were killed instead by a misfired Israeli Iron Dome air-defence missile.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Vedant Patel, the State Department’s deputy spokesman, refused to answer questions about whether Israel had informed the US about any potential strike.

“On this specific incident, I would have to refer you to partners in the region to speak to,” Patel said.

“And I’ll leave it to Israelis to speak to any planning or response that they may have in the works.”

The months-long hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have caused casualties on both sides and displaced tens of thousands of people who live near the Israeli-Lebanese border region.

In response to the attack, Dawn, a US organisation that supports democracy and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, urged US President Joe Biden to stop a regional war from erupting.

“In the days after October 7, President Biden had a message for Hezbollah: ‘Don’t.’ Now it’s time for Biden to send the same message to Israel: Don’t launch a new war in Lebanon, don’t keep evading a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, don’t assume American support if you start a regional war,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Dawn’ executive director.

“The US government should be doing everything it can to stop the escalation of the conflict and the only way to accomplish that is to exert enough pressure on Israel to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” Whitson added.