Russia, Iran preparing violent protests in US after elections – intelligence

It is noted that the Russian Federation will likely try to incite protests in the United States, regardless of who wins the election.

Russia and Iran may try to provoke violent protests in the United States after the presidential elections in November. The goal is to sow discord, cast doubt on the election results, and complicate the transition of presidential power.

This is reported by the AP, citing a warning from intelligence officials in a declassified memo.

A memo released by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence says that Russia and Iran could support violent protests either by secretly organizing events themselves or by encouraging local groups to participate in planned events. The goal would be to sow discord, cast doubt on the election results, and complicate the transition of presidential power.

According to the memo, in January Russian military intelligence tried to recruit a U.S. citizen to organize protestsin his home country. The American may not have known he was in contact with Russian agents.

The United States has accused the Iranian government for the first time of covertly supporting protests against American support for Israel during the Gaza war. Intelligence officials have learned that Iranian-linked individuals offered to cover the cost of travel to protests in Washington.

There is a greater risk this year that one of the United States' adversaries could help fuel political violence after the election, officials say, because Iranian and Russian officials now have a better understanding of the complex process the United States uses to certify the vote.

The period between Election Day and the inauguration of a new president is especially risky, they say, as foreign adversaries and domestic extremists could try to disrupt the certification of the election, using deceptive claims or innocent violations. Concerns about security have already prompted poll workers in some communities to install bulletproof glass and panic buttons.

Fears of political violence have grown amid concerns about widening polarization and growing distrust, trends that U.S. adversaries have tried to accelerate using online disinformation and propaganda. In addition to plans to influence the outcome of the election, officials say Russia and Iran, as well as China, want to undermine American unity by spreading false and misleading claims about the election, voting, and hot-button issues like immigration, the economy, or the federal response to recent hurricanes.