The White House Warns Iran Against Exploiting Protests in the U.S. Over Gaza War

The White House spokesperson accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of seeking to exploit protests related to the Gaza war in the United States, deeming this behavior unacceptable. This warning came hours after the U.S. Director of National Intelligence reported on Iran's cyber activities and Tehran's exploitation of protests against Israel during the Gaza war. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, stated on Tuesday, July 9, that freedom of expression is vital for American democracy, but the government also has a duty to warn citizens about foreign influence operations. She said, 'Americans from all political backgrounds, in good faith, have sought to express their independent views on the conflict in Gaza. The free expression of diverse views, as long as it is done peacefully, is essential for our democracy.' The spokesperson emphasized that 'the U.S. government is obligated to warn Americans about malicious foreign influence... We will continue to expose efforts to undermine democracy in our society.' A U.S. intelligence official stated that Iran, Russia, and China are seeking to influence the 2024 elections. The Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet responded to these U.S. accusations. Just hours before the White House warning, Avril Haines, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, stated, 'The United States has identified cyber actors linked to Iran who are acting as online activists seeking to encourage protests and even financially support protesters [against the Gaza war].' Referring to her testimony before Congress in May, she said, 'Iran is increasingly attempting aggressive influence and creating discord and undermining trust in our democratic institutions.' The Director of National Intelligence noted Tehran's actions in previous U.S. elections, stating, 'Iranian cyber forces continue their cyber activities and influence using social media platforms and threats, and it is likely that they will continue to exert influence using their intelligence services and online influencers based in Iran.' Ms. Haines added that the Islamic Republic of Iran is seeking 'opportunism' in the ongoing protests regarding the Gaza war, using a 'playbook' that others have used for years. She stated, 'I want to be clear that I know Americans participating in protests are expressing their views on the Gaza conflict in good faith. This information does not indicate otherwise.' The Director of National Intelligence emphasized, 'Moreover, the free expression of diverse views, when done peacefully, is essential for our democracy, but it is also important to warn foreign actors seeking to exploit our discussions for their own purposes.' Student protests in the U.S. that began after the war between Israel and the extremist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the worsening conditions for civilians in the region have been ongoing for weeks. The Hamas group is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States. The leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a letter to American students opposed to the war in Gaza on May 31, referred to them as part of the 'resistance front.' Biden stated: 'In America, there is a right to free speech and peaceful protest, but violence is not acceptable.' The Islamic Republic of Iran refers to its affiliated militia groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen as the 'resistance axis,' which attacks U.S. and Israeli objectives and positions in the region. The Director of National Intelligence further stated that Americans targeted by Iranian campaigns may not realize they are interacting with or supporting a foreign government. Ms. Haines previously warned in the U.S. Senate that innovations in artificial intelligence enable foreign actors to produce political messages that appear more credible, more efficiently, at a larger scale, and with content tailored to various languages and cultures. The AI company 'OpenAI' also reported on May 31 that it had removed five online influence campaigns that were seeking to 'deceive' public opinion using artificial intelligence. According to the company's new report, online influence operations by malicious actors based in Russia, China, Iran, and Israel were attempting to use artificial intelligence to deceive the public. These actors were using 'OpenAI' tools, including 'ChatGPT,' to create social media comments in various languages, generate names and identities for fake accounts, create cartoons and other images, and debugging code. These campaigns focused on topics such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and political issues in Europe and the United States.