FBI Intelligence Report Warned of Iran 'Persistent Threat' to US Homeland; Administration Downplayed Risk Pre-War

A March 20 FBI intelligence report warned state and local law enforcement of elevated physical threats from the Iranian government to targets inside the United States, including military and government personnel, Jewish and Israeli institutions, and Iranian dissidents. The report was issued as a routine counterintelligence product but gained new significance after reporting revealed the administration dismissed a dozen agents and analysts from the FBI Washington Field Office's Iran counterintelligence unit days before Operation Epic Fury began. The assessment noted violent extremists could see the conflict as justification for attacks.