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Analysis

As Trump shrugs off possible Iran attacks at home, experts see increased risk

The war has fueled concerns that Iran’s operatives, or those acting in its name, could target the United States.

A security forces member with a picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, watches over demonstrators as they gather for a rally in support of the new supreme leader at Enghelab Square on March 9, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
A security forces member with a picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, watches over demonstrators as they gather for a rally in support of the new supreme leader at Enghelab Square on March 9, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. — Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is not worried about Iran-backed attacks on US soil, even as security experts warn a weakened Tehran is likely to resort to unconventional warfare that could include attacks on the homeland. 

That concern is underscored by the US intelligence community's annual threat assessment from 2025, which said Iran remains determined to build “surrogate networks inside the United States.” That warning takes on new urgency amid the current war, where US and Israeli strikes since Feb. 28 have killed many of Iran’s top leaders, sunk its warships and crippled its military. 

At the outset of the war, FBI Director Kash Patel said he put the bureau’s counterterrorism and intelligence teams on high alert, and the Department of Homeland Security has warned of the potential for Iran and its proxies to “escalate retaliatory actions” inside the United States, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC News. 

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