US on Alert! Intelligence Warns of New Iranian Retaliatory Attacks
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - United States intelligence (US) has warned of the possibility of new retaliatory attacks from Iran and its proxy networks. The warning followed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint military operation by the US and Israel at the end of February.
The threat assessment, released by Reuters and prepared by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), shows that while large-scale physical attacks remain unlikely, retaliatory threats remain real in various forms, including cyber threats.
The report notes that Iran and its networks “may” pose threats of small to medium-scale attacks, particularly through targeted actions within the United States. The risk of cyber attacks, such as website defacement and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, is even considered more likely in the near term.
“Although large-scale physical attacks are unlikely, Iran and its proxies are most likely to pose a persistent threat of targeted attacks on home soil and are almost certain to escalate retaliation efforts, or calls to act, if reports of the Ayatollah’s death are confirmed,” the DHS report said, quoted on Wednesday (4/3/2026).
The DHS report also assesses that Iran is likely to broaden attacks against US targets and its partners in the Middle East, while pointing to senior US officials as the root of the protests sparked by calls for regime change from US President Donald Trump.
In response, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stressed that the government remains vigilant.
“I am coordinating directly with our intelligence partners and federal law enforcement as we continue to monitor and disrupt any potential threats to the homeland,” she said in a formal statement.
The death of Khamenei announced over the past weekend becomes an escalation point in a conflict that has already heated up. Iranian forces are said to have launched attacks on US bases in several Gulf countries in response, while Israel has widened attacks into Lebanon over Hizbollah activity.