Could Iran attack on U.S. soil? “It is an all-hands-on-deck moment,” security analyst says

As the war between the U.S. and Iran expands with Iranian strikes around the region, concerns have swirled about possible threats on American soil. 

Iran has launched attacks on U.S. allies in the Middle East, with the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel saying Thursday that Iran has launched more than 1,600 drones so far at Israel, Jordan, Persian Gulf nations and Cyprus.

On “CBS Mornings,” two former counterterrorism officials and CBS News national security contributors, Sam Vinograd and Joe Zacks, discussed the potential threats to the U.S. and what Americans should know to help protect themselves. 

The capabilities Iran could have on U.S. soil

Vinograd said Iran represents a “multi-dimensional threat to the homeland.”

“They seek to inflict damage in our physical spaces, in cyberspace and in terms of the actual information that we’re ingesting and digesting and circulating right now,” said Vinograd, a  former DHS assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat protection.

She said Iran has a “deep bench of players they tap into to inflict damage,” including proxies — regional, like-minded terrorist organizations — along with state agents. 

Iran has also developed what she calls “surrogate networks here in the United States — regular criminals that they actually hire and pay money to do things like murders and assassinations.”

“Typically, they try to tap into individuals here in the homeland, from a range of nationalities that are lawfully allowed to be here, and that they actually just pay money to do their dirty work,” she said. 

One man is currently on trial in New York for an alleged plot to assassinate U.S. politicians, potentially including President Trump or former President Biden, on behalf of Iran ‘s powerful Revolutionary Guard. Iran has also targeted Iranian dissidents in the U.S. It has been designated by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984.

Vinograd said law enforcement has been “actively following these threat streams for decades,” so they know what to look for and have “a lot of resources” dedicated to addressing these types of threats.

What Iran could target and how

Zacks said for Iran, the goal would be to “put the U.S. on the defensive, and for them to show the ability to take some offensive action here in our homeland.” 

“Historically, they’ve gone after high-profile targets in the United States, and they may continue to do the same,” said Zacks, who previously served as deputy assistant director of the CIA for counterterrorism. 

Zacks said Iranian action could also come in the form of cyberattacks. 

He said the U.S. is “laser focused on what Iran could potentially do here in the United States, and we’re not leaving this for chance, and taking defensive measures of our own to ensure that we prevent such an attack.”

“We’ve developed our capabilities extensively over the past 20-some years, since 9/11,” he said. 

“But that does not obviate the need to be vigilant,” he added.

An “all-hands-on-deck moment” for Americans

Vinograd said with the possible threats, Americans should be aware. 

“It is clear that it is an all-hands-on-deck moment, not just for the U.S. government, but for every American when it comes to countering the regime’s ability to attack the homeland,” she said. 

Vinograd said while the focus may be on government capabilities, “every individual in this country right now needs to be aware of the threat from proxies, from individuals that the regime hires.”

What does that vigilance look like?

“People need to think before they click things in cyberspace, they need to think before they download things,” she said. Americans should be cautious of emails they’re receiving from sources they may not know, and on social media, think “very carefully about what you’re digesting.” 

Aside from the cyber concerns, “In our physical surroundings, people should go about their daily lives,” she said.

But she nodded to the phrase, “if you see something, say something,” urging Americans to be “extra vigilant right now.” 

“And if you see something suspicious, reach out to law enforcement,” she said.