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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.