White House Warns of Islamic Republic's Campaign to Exploit Gaza War and Incite Protesters in the U.S.

On Tuesday, July 9, the White House accused the Islamic Republic of attempting to exploit protests related to the Gaza war in the United States and inciting protesters, deeming this behavior unacceptable. The White House spokesperson warned Tehran about the consequences of this action, stating, "We will continue to identify and neutralize efforts to undermine democracy in our society, just as we do today." Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized that freedom of speech is a vital component of American democracy while stressing that the government has a duty to alert its citizens to foreign influence operations. This stance from the White House came after the Director of National Intelligence warned on the same day about the cyber activities of the Islamic Republic, stating that the Iranian government seeks to "exploit" protests against the Gaza war through its agents. Avril Haines added in a statement, "Iranian government-affiliated actors have attempted in recent weeks, in an opportunistic manner and through a repetitive process, to exploit protests regarding the Gaza war in the United States." She accused Iranian-affiliated actors of "encouraging protests" and "financially supporting protesters," adding that Americans targeted by the Islamic Republic's campaign "may not realize they are interacting with or supporting a foreign government." She urged Americans to be cautious of accounts on social media whose users they do not know. Israel's retaliatory attack on Palestinian areas aimed at "destroying Hamas" began after this group, supported by the Islamic Republic, killed 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and took over 250 hostages during the attack on southern Israel on October 7 of last year. Hamas and Hezbollah, supported by the Islamic Republic, are listed as terrorist organizations by the U.S. and several other countries. Hopes for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip increased following a conversation between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S. National Intelligence Agency warned about the Islamic Republic's cyber campaign to exploit the Gaza war. The former bodyguard of Hezbollah's leader was killed in Syria. Discussions between the CIA Director and the President of Egypt; ceasefire negotiations in Gaza will resume on "Wednesday." Israeli military operations intensified alongside diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire in Gaza. Israeli tanks in the city of Gaza; residents report that the clashes are very intense.