FBI ramps up monitoring of potential Iranian-backed terror cells in US: report

The outlet said, citing sources familiar with the matter, that FBI Director Kash Patel has been ramping up efforts to identify and monitor any Iran-backed cells linked to the terrorist group Hezbollah. The efforts have been pursued since Israel's attack on Iran earlier this month in Operation Rising Lion.

Iran has previously threatened to come after US officials who were involved with the assassination of Iranian military head Qasem Soleimani. The terror leader was killed in January 2020 on an order given by Trump. Last year, there was an Iranian operative with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and two people in the US who were charged with plotting to assassinate those who are critical of Iran. The assassination plot included Trump.

As the conflict between Iran and Israel has continued, Trump is considering whether or not to strike Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, which is deep underground, an action that would directly involve the US joining with Israel against Iran in the conflict.

Trump said earlier this week, through White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, that he would be making a decision regarding next steps in the conflict with Iran in the next two weeks. The country has threatened to retaliate if the US does get involved.

President Trump has repeatedly said leading up to his presidential run as well as during his years as a private citizen that Iran cannot get a nuclear weapon.

Earlier this week, Trump called on Iran to submit to “unconditional surrender” as well as wrote on Truth Social, "We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured 'stuff.' Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA.”