US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Tuesday accused Iran of egging on protests inside the US against the Gaza war, including by paying demonstrators.
Haines said that she was not alleging that Americans taking to the streets against Israel or US policy were insincere or doing Iran’s bidding, but said Tehran was stepping up efforts.
“In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years,” she said in a statement. “We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests and even providing financial support to protesters.”
Photo: Reuters
“The freedom to express diverse views, when done peacefully, is essential to our democracy, but it is also important to warn of foreign actors who seek to exploit our debate for their own purposes,” she said.
Iran’s clerical state supports Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose massive attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year has triggered an Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Iranian state-backed media seized on pro-Palestinian protests that swept US university campuses and accused the US of hypocrisy in the crackdowns on some of the demonstrations.
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