Iran Regime Behind Campaign to Fund Pro-Hamas Protests in Widespread Influence Push

The chief intelligence officer of the United States warned that the Islamic Republic is behind an influence campaign amid the backdrop of this year’s anti-Israel protests on many of the country’s college campuses.

Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, accused the regime in a Tuesday statement of “becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts,” while suggesting that their goal is to create national divisions in the runup to November’s presidential election.

“In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years.,” her message read before noting that U.S. officials “have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters.”

The comments come as many American educational institutions experienced unprecedented, and often violent, antisemitic demonstrations in the wake of the October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

Despite these actions by opponents of the Jewish state, Haines was clear in her communication that many of the terrorist-supporting participants “are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza.”

The director offered similar warnings on May 15 in a hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the same month that Tehran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei praised the actions of those responsible for the campus mayhem.