Biden must do more to counter ‘credible threats’ by Iran on U.S. leaders, says Pfluger

U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) joined a Republican colleague in urging the Biden administration to hold a classified briefing on Iran’s efforts to assassinate American officials.

The members cited ongoing and “credible threats” against former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other senior-level U.S. leaders in an Aug. 31 letter that Rep. Pfluger and U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) sent to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, and National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Christine Abizaid.

Rep. Green is chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, while Rep. Pfluger chairs the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence.  

“We write to request additional information about the persistent threats posed by Iran’s campaign to direct operations against U.S. persons or other targets in the U.S. homeland,” the lawmakers wrote. “These brazen activities have continued for some time now. We seek information about how the DHS, the FBI, and the NCTC are working together to stay ahead of these threats and take preventative actions.”

The homeland security threats come as the Biden administration is negotiating a new nuclear deal with Iran, according to their letter, and in addition to the assassination plots include Iran’s efforts to silence those who publicly criticize the regime on U.S. soil and elsewhere around the world.

“It is curious that while these egregious activities continue, the Biden administration is not taking actions to impose consequences on the Iranian regime and instead has renewed its push for a nuclear deal with Iran,” wrote Rep. Pfluger and his colleague.

The members also noted that Iran continues to support its partner force Lebanese Hizballah, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

To assist the Homeland Security Committee’s examination of the ongoing threats posed by Iran on American soil, Reps. Pfluger and Green requested that DHS, the FBI, and NCTC provide committee staff with a classified briefing no later than Sept. 14.

The briefing should include, but is not limited to, information about the number of active plots by Iran or its proxies against U.S. persons living in the United States, as well as information about the respective agencies’ coordination efforts for threat intelligence to counter Iran’s activities.