American intelligence agencies have intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated from Iran that could potentially serve as a signal for sleeper cells operating outside the country, according to a federal alert circulated to law enforcement authorities.
The warning, which was reviewed by ABC News, cites “preliminary signals analysis” of a transmission described as “likely of Iranian origin.” The message was reportedly broadcast to several countries shortly after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed.
Khamenei died on Feb. 28 during a coordinated U.S.-Israeli military strike.
Officials say the intercepted message was encrypted and appeared to be intended for “clandestine recipients” who already possess the necessary encryption key to decode it.
Communications of this type are commonly used to deliver instructions to “covert operatives or sleeper assets” without using internet networks or cellular systems that could be more easily traced.
According to the alert, analysts believe the signals may have been designed to “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country.”
“While the exact contents of these transmissions cannot currently be determined, the sudden appearance of a new station with international rebroadcast characteristics warrants heightened situational awareness,” the alert said.
Officials stressed that the warning does not point to any particular location or imminent attack. The alert notes there is “no operational threat tied to a specific location,” though it advises law enforcement agencies to closely watch for unusual radio-frequency activity.
If the communication is confirmed to be authentic, it could intensify concerns among Western security officials that sleeper cells positioned abroad might be activated in retaliation following the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.
{Matzav.com}
As Israel’s war with Iran continues, former Israeli National Security Adviser Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror said the fighting could last six to eight weeks and may extend into the Pesach holiday, while suggesting that dramatic developments may already be unfolding inside Iran.
In an interview on Radio 103FM with hosts Amichai Etali and Gideon Oko, Amidror said Israelis may have to prepare for the possibility of celebrating Pesach under wartime conditions, including spending time in protected shelters.
“We’ll reach Pesach. I don’t understand what the problem is if we have to hold our Seders in shelters. If in order to destroy Iran we need to sit in shelters on Pesach, I think that is a worthy price,” Amidror said.
He explained that U.S. military assessments indicate that a successful campaign against Iran would likely require several weeks of sustained operations.
“I believe the Americans calculated targets for six to eight weeks so that the blow to Iran will be very severe,” he said.
According to Amidror, the central objective of the war is not necessarily the immediate collapse of Iran’s ruling regime in Tehran, even if such an outcome would be desirable.
“It would be better if the regime were replaced, but I’m not sure that can be achieved from the air,” he explained. “If we cannot replace the regime, we must ensure only one thing — that the regime will not pose a threat. We cannot change their worldview.”
He added that while the Iranian regime is currently weak, there is no organized opposition capable of stepping in and assuming power.
“The Iranian regime is weak, but there is no opposition that can take power. We want a regime weak enough that we can return and destroy whatever we want,” he said.
Amidror also addressed concerns surrounding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, saying that even the possibility of seizing the material cannot be ruled out, although such an operation would be complex.
“We can make sure there are no Iranians in the area and take it if we know where it is,” he explained. “You can create a bubble that you protect from the air, bring in a force with appropriate air support, and remove the material from there.”
He said the uranium itself does not currently pose an immediate danger in its present form.
“It is stored in containers that are not very large. From a rough calculation I made based on unofficial papers I read, it is something like between twenty and thirty containers.”
Amidror also commented on the possibility that Mojtaba Khamenei could emerge as Iran’s next supreme leader, warning that such a development could lead to further escalation.
“There is now a new ruler in Iran, and he will have to decide whether to sacrifice Iran for the sake of his rule or drink the cup of poison,” he said. “Based on his experience, I fear for the fate of the Iranians.”
At the same time, former figures in Israel’s intelligence community suggested that major covert operations may already be taking place inside Iran as part of the current campaign.
Shagiv Asoulin, a former senior Mossad official, said in a separate interview that some operations carried out inside Iran have not yet been revealed to the public.
“I can say that big things have happened in Iran, on the scale of the beepers and perhaps even more,” he said. “Maybe they don’t photograph as dramatically, but with time we will hear about them and they will be no less amazing.”
He added that additional significant moves may still be “up the sleeve” and could become known as the conflict continues.
{Matzav.com}Knesset member Zvi Succot, who chairs the Knesset Education Committee, traveled to Kiryat Shmona during the ongoing Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel and spent the night in a public shelter alongside local residents.
While in the city, Succot met with Kiryat Shmona’s mayor at the newly established municipal emergency operations center for a security briefing. During the meeting, he was updated on the situation facing the community and the difficulties confronting the local education system as the fighting continues.
Following the briefing, Succot visited several shelters throughout the city and spoke with residents about the challenges of living under constant rocket threats and frequent sirens. Later that evening, he decided to remain in the city and sleep in one of the public shelters together with residents.
Succot said, “I came here to experience firsthand what residents on the confrontation line are going through. The State of Israel must remain committed to the security and daily life of northern residents.”
He added, “We must not get used to a reality in which civilians live between sirens and shelters – our responsibility is to restore a full sense of security to the region’s residents.”
Addressing Israel’s security approach, Succot said, “The era of restraint is over; we have moved to initiating and striking our enemies until they are destroyed. Residents here are living in an unimaginable reality – there are people over the age of 60 who sat in shelters here as children.”
In closing, he declared: “All territory south of the Litani should be annexed. Woe to anyone who thinks about stopping before the threat from the north is completely eliminated.”
{Matzav.com}
Travelers arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday hoping to depart after the airport reopened for outbound flights were stunned to learn that despite holding valid tickets, many were still unable to board their planes.
The unclear and shifting instructions triggered widespread frustration among passengers, with heated arguments, pushing, and confrontations breaking out in the terminal. Police were ultimately called in to restore order amid the turmoil.
כאוס בנתב"ג: באל על קיבלו אתמול אישור להעלות 200 נוסעים בחלק מהטיסות – אך היום המספר ירד חזרה ל-50 – נוסעים רבים נותרו זועמים בדלפקי הצ'אק אין לאחר שהגיעו לנתב"ג.
דיילי קרקע: "איבוד עשתונות – סגרו דלפקי צ'ק אין. יש אלימות בין המשטרה לנוסעים"@Dean_Fisher_ pic.twitter.com/VWNGoTxD3X
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) March 9, 2026
The confusion was traced to a sudden overnight reversal of wartime travel regulations. Just a day earlier, authorities had approved an increase in the number of passengers allowed on each flight, raising the cap from 100 to 200 people. Following that decision, airlines began offering additional seats to hundreds of customers who had previously been placed on waiting lists.
But during the night, the policy was abruptly rolled back without prior notice. The passenger limit was restored to 100 people per flight, leaving hundreds of travelers holding confirmed tickets for flights that no longer had space for them.
When those passengers arrived at the airport and approached the check-in counters, airline staff were forced to determine on the spot which travelers would be permitted to board and which would be denied seats.
Footage circulating from inside the airport showed tense and chaotic scenes as stranded travelers confronted airline representatives. “There are elderly people here. Why are you doing this? Take responsibility,” one passenger could be heard shouting at an airline employee.
{Matzav.com}President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is not close to deploying troops into Iran to secure nuclear material at the enrichment facility in Isfahan, while also declining to reveal how he plans to deal with Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Speaking to The New York Post, Trump dismissed reports suggesting that Washington is preparing to send American forces to the underground nuclear site near the historic city of Isfahan.
“We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it,” Trump said of reported discussions about a US deployment to Iran’s underground enrichment facility near the ancient Persian capital.
Trump also reacted to the elevation of Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who assumed leadership of Iran’s Islamic regime over the weekend following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei. The president made clear that he is dissatisfied with the development but avoided outlining any specific response.
“Not going to tell you,” Trump said about his plans for the younger Khamenei. “Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him.”
Trump made the remarks during a phone interview from Trump National Golf Club in Doral, Florida, where he also attempted to temper speculation that the United States might soon launch a ground operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. His comments echoed what he told reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One, when he said that “we haven’t talked about” sending troops to Isfahan.
Nevertheless, several media outlets reported that the possibility of such a mission has been discussed among officials.
Trump’s guarded tone regarding Mojtaba Khamenei comes after stronger warnings he issued prior to the leadership transition in Tehran.
Shortly before the younger Khamenei was formally selected to succeed his father, Trump said during an interview with ABC News that the new Iranian leader would face consequences if he took power without American approval, saying he was “not going to last long” if “he doesn’t get approval from us.”
Trump also said in an interview last week that “Khamenei’s son is a lightweight” and “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela.”
{Matzav.com}
