Iran fuels protests in the US against Israel's warfare in Gaza, according to the American intelligence service.
The goal is said to be to create chaos ahead of the autumn's American presidential election.
Via social media, Iranian regime-connected groups have secretly fueled protests against Israel at American universities, according to the US intelligence chief Avril Haines.
"Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in its attempts to exert foreign influence, seeking to sow discord and undermine trust in our democratic institutions," says Haines in a statement.
The Iran-connected groups, which on social media have pretended to be pro-Palestinian activists, have also financially supported several protest groups, according to the statement.
Deepening divisions
The provocation is described as the latest evidence that the US's opponents are using digital means to escalate domestic American debates and deepen the political divisions ahead of the November election.
"Americans who are exposed to this Iranian campaign may not know that they are interacting with, or receiving support from, a foreign power," says Haines.
Extensive protests against Israel's warfare in Gaza have shaken several top American universities in recent months and created significant political debate. The protests have led to counter-protests and police interventions with hundreds of arrests, and Jewish students have warned of hate and anti-Semitic messages.
Becoming increasingly vulnerable
The US is becoming increasingly vulnerable to foreign influence campaigns, according to Democratic Senator Mark Warner.
Social media continues to be a popular vector for covert foreign influence attempts. Our opponents are still focused on fomenting social, racial, and political divisions among Americans, he says.
Besides Iran, Russia poses the greatest disinformation threat ahead of the US presidential election on November 5, according to American intelligence.
Demonstrators at several American universities, including several Ivy League schools, set up tent camps on campus in pro-Palestinian protests against the universities' ties to Israel during the spring.
The demonstrators demanded that the universities cut their economic ties with Israel and with companies that support Israel's warfare in Gaza. Many of the protests have escalated, including at New York University in late April, when demonstrators threw bottles at riot police after the university management was alerted to threatening slogans and anti-Semitic incidents.
A large part of the demonstrators at New York University had no connection to the university, according to a review by The Wall Street Journal.
Over the past two decades, around 100 American universities have reported gifts or contracts from Israel worth a total of over four billion kronor, according to public sources. However, the government in Washington has long pointed out significant underreporting by the universities.
