Understanding Iran’s Potential Threats to American Soil: What You Need to Know

A Multi-Dimensional Threat Landscape

As tensions escalate between the United States and Iran, with conflicts spreading across the Middle East, Americans are rightfully concerned about potential dangers closer to home. The situation has intensified significantly, with Iran reportedly launching over 1,600 drone strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Persian Gulf nations, and Cyprus, according to the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel. This aggressive military posture has raised important questions about what threats might materialize on American soil and how ordinary citizens can protect themselves and their communities.

Former counterterrorism officials Sam Vinograd and Joe Zacks, both now serving as CBS News national security contributors, recently appeared on “CBS Mornings” to shed light on these concerns. Their insights paint a picture of a complex and evolving threat that extends far beyond traditional military confrontation. According to Vinograd, who previously served as the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat protection, Iran represents what she calls a “multi-dimensional threat to the homeland.” This isn’t just about physical attacks or traditional terrorism—it encompasses cyberspace vulnerabilities, information warfare, and the manipulation of the very information Americans consume daily through news and social media platforms.

The Iranian government has demonstrated remarkable sophistication in how it projects power beyond its borders. Rather than relying solely on direct state action, which would be easier to detect and counter, Iran has developed what experts describe as a “deep bench of players” to carry out its objectives. This network includes proxy organizations—regional terrorist groups that share ideological goals with Tehran—as well as official state agents operating covertly. Perhaps most concerning is Iran’s development of what Vinograd calls “surrogate networks” right here in the United States. These aren’t necessarily ideologically motivated terrorists, but rather ordinary criminals who are recruited and paid to carry out specific missions, including murders and assassinations. Iran has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States since 1984, reflecting decades of hostile activity.

How Iran Operates Within America’s Borders

The methodology Iran uses to execute operations within the United States is both pragmatic and alarming. According to the experts, Iranian operatives typically seek to recruit individuals from various nationalities who are legally present in the country, making them less likely to draw suspicion from law enforcement. These recruits are then paid to do what Vinograd bluntly describes as Iran’s “dirty work.” This approach provides Tehran with plausible deniability while still allowing them to strike at targets within American territory.

Current events demonstrate that these aren’t merely theoretical concerns. Right now, a trial is underway in New York involving a man accused of plotting to assassinate U.S. politicians on behalf of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard. The potential targets allegedly included high-profile figures such as President Trump or former President Biden, illustrating the ambition and audacity of Iranian planning. Beyond targeting American officials, Iran has also set its sights on Iranian dissidents living in the United States—people who have fled the regime and now live under the protection of American law. These dissidents represent an embarrassment to Tehran and are therefore marked for retribution, even on American soil.

Despite the serious nature of these threats, there is some reassurance in the fact that American law enforcement has been tracking Iranian threat patterns for decades. Vinograd emphasized that authorities “know what to look for” and have dedicated substantial resources to monitoring and countering these specific types of threats. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies maintain active investigations and intelligence-gathering operations focused specifically on Iranian activities. This institutional knowledge and experience provides a foundation for protecting Americans, though it doesn’t eliminate the risk entirely.

Potential Targets and Attack Methods

When considering what Iran might target if it were to escalate attacks on American soil, former CIA official Joe Zacks explained that the strategic objective would be twofold: to put the United States on the defensive and to demonstrate Iran’s capability to project offensive power into the American homeland. Historically, Iranian operations in the United States have focused on high-profile targets—government officials, military personnel, and prominent dissidents. This pattern is likely to continue, as such attacks generate maximum publicity and psychological impact.

However, physical attacks represent only one dimension of the threat. Cyberattacks constitute an equally significant concern, and in some ways, they may be more likely than kinetic operations. Cyber operations offer Iran several advantages: they’re difficult to attribute definitively, they can be launched from anywhere in the world, they avoid the risks associated with placing operatives on American soil, and they can potentially cause widespread disruption to critical infrastructure, financial systems, or essential services. The digital realm has become a battlefield where nations can strike at each other without firing a single bullet, and Iran has invested heavily in developing these capabilities.

Zacks emphasized that U.S. intelligence and security agencies are “laser focused” on what Iran could potentially do within American borders and are “not leaving this for chance.” Defensive measures are being implemented across multiple sectors to prevent successful attacks before they occur. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States has dramatically expanded its counterterrorism capabilities, developing sophisticated systems for detecting threats, sharing intelligence across agencies, and responding rapidly to emerging dangers. However, as Zacks noted, these improvements “do not obviate the need to be vigilant.” No security system is perfect, and the threat landscape constantly evolves as adversaries develop new tactics and exploit new vulnerabilities.

An All-Hands-On-Deck Moment for Every American

The current situation demands more than just government action—it requires awareness and engagement from ordinary Americans. Vinograd characterized the present moment as “all-hands-on-deck,” not merely for the U.S. government but for every citizen. While national security agencies bear the primary responsibility for defending against foreign threats, the distributed nature of modern threats means that individual Americans play a crucial role in maintaining security.

This isn’t a call for paranoia or fear, but rather for informed awareness. The traditional focus on government capabilities and military strength remains important, but Vinograd stressed that “every individual in this country right now needs to be aware of the threat from proxies, from individuals that the regime hires.” When Iran can potentially recruit anyone to carry out operations, and when those operations might target public spaces or critical infrastructure, public awareness becomes a vital component of the overall security architecture. Citizens become the eyes and ears of law enforcement, multiplying the government’s surveillance capacity many times over.

The democratization of threat awareness reflects a broader shift in how we think about national security in the 21st century. Gone are the days when security was exclusively the domain of military and intelligence professionals. Today’s threats—whether from terrorism, cyber attacks, or hybrid warfare—blur the lines between foreign and domestic, military and civilian, public and private. In this environment, everyone has a role to play in maintaining collective security, even if that role is simply staying informed and alert.

Practical Steps for Staying Safe and Vigilant

So what does practical vigilance look like for the average American? According to the experts, it starts in cyberspace, where many of us spend significant portions of our days. Vinograd advised that people need to “think before they click things in cyberspace” and “think before they download things.” This seemingly simple advice addresses a major vulnerability: phishing attacks, malware distribution, and social engineering tactics that trick people into compromising their own security or that of their employers and communities.

Americans should exercise caution regarding emails from unknown or suspicious sources, especially those requesting personal information, urging immediate action, or containing unexpected attachments or links. On social media platforms, where misinformation and influence operations flourish, users should think “very carefully about what you’re digesting.” Not everything that appears in your feed is what it seems—some content is deliberately designed to mislead, polarize, or manipulate public opinion as part of broader information warfare campaigns. Developing critical media literacy skills and verifying information before sharing it can help counter these efforts.

Regarding physical security, Vinograd’s advice was reassuring: “In our physical surroundings, people should go about their daily lives.” There’s no need to fundamentally alter your routine or live in fear. However, she invoked the familiar phrase “if you see something, say something,” urging Americans to be “extra vigilant right now.” This means paying attention to your surroundings in public spaces, noting suspicious behavior or unattended packages, and reporting genuinely concerning observations to law enforcement rather than dismissing them as probably nothing. The relationship between public awareness and security is built on thousands of small observations that, when reported and analyzed, can reveal patterns and prevent attacks. Law enforcement agencies have established hotlines and reporting mechanisms specifically to receive such information, and they take these reports seriously, investigating credible concerns while filtering out false alarms. By remaining alert without becoming fearful, by staying informed without becoming paranoid, and by reporting genuine concerns without hesitation, ordinary Americans can contribute meaningfully to the collective security that protects us all during this period of heightened tension with Iran.