ICYMI: SCN Leads Security Response Following Iran Strike and Escalated Threat Environment
Following the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure on 22 June, the Secure Community Network (SCN) mobilized with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other agencies to assess and respond to the heightened threat facing the Jewish community. As part of these efforts, SCN co-hosted a national threat briefing attended by more than 1,000 intelligence and law enforcement professionals.
SCN National Director & CEO Michael Masters outlined current risks, resource needs, and next steps to help keep the community safe and operational. He warned that the strike “opens up a new chapter for all of us” and that Jewish institutions and leaders in the U.S. “should be considered at an elevated risk” for retaliatory violence. Since 07 October 2023, SCN has tracked more than 10,000 threat incident and suspicious activity reports impacting the North American Jewish community.
In the days that followed, SCN worked closely with major media outlets including The New York Times,CBS, ABC, Associated Press, and The Jerusalem Post, to ensure timely, accurate coverage and highlight the need for continued vigilance
FBI, DHS Host Call With Law Enforcement Over U.S. Threat Environment After Iran Strikes
Senior FBI and Homeland Security officials hosted conference calls with some of the nation’s governors and top law enforcement officials on Sunday to discuss how the U.S. missile strikes in Iran impact an already dangerous threat environment, sources told ABC News.
The calls included one with hundreds of state and local law enforcement officials from around the country and another with state governors and their staff. SCN’s National Director and CEO, Michael Masters, told ABC News, “We’ve looked at the Iranian threat for years; they are the number one state sponsor of terror,” noting that Iran has targeted U.S. officials and the Jewish community. Masters stressed that cooperation with law enforcement is critical and urged collective vigilance: “It’s going to take all of us.”
Jewish Community At Heightened Risk After Israel-Iran Conflict, Security Group Says
“In the hours after the U.S. strike in Iran, we logged 1,680 violent posts online directed at the Jewish community, alone,” said Michael Masters, who runs the Secure Community Network, a nonprofit that focuses on security at Jewish institutions in the U.S. He also noted to CBS the group saw an “explosion” of threats toward the Jewish community after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks — over double from the year prior. Asked if the incitement is taking place mostly online, Masters says “it’s also happening on our college campuses, it’s happening on our city streets, it’s happening in our city council meetings.”
F.B.I. Warns of Possible Retaliation by Iran After Bombing of Nuclear Sites
In a conference call, D.H.S. and F.B.I. officials cautioned state and local law enforcement officials of the possibility of threats to U.S. communities. During the call, the nonprofit organization Secure Community Network, which provides safety consulting and training for Jewish facilities across North America, said that the level of threats was very high.
“Iran would not strike in the U.S. unless a red line was crossed,” said Michael Masters, the group’s chief executive, according to a summary of the call. “That red line was assessed to be direct military engagement, especially targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. That red line has now been crossed.” The bulletin by the Department of Homeland Security said that the Iran-Israel war “could also motivate violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the U.S. government or military in the homeland.”
U.S. Jewish Groups Issue New Security Guidances Following Deadly Washington Shooting
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is warning of a “heightened threat environment” following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the deputy FBI director says the bureau’s “assets are fully engaged” to prevent retaliatory violence, and local law enforcement agencies in major cities like New York say they’re on high alert. On Sunday, hours after the attack, FBI and DHS officials convened a call with local law enforcement to update them on the threat landscape, said Michael Masters, who participated in it as the National Director & CEO for the Secure Community Network, a Jewish security organization that tracks Iranian threats.
The DHS bulletin released over the weekend warned that several foreign terror organizations have called for violence against U.S. assets and personnel in the Middle East. It also warned of an increased likelihood that a “supporter of the Iranian regime is inspired to commit an act of violence in the Homeland.” “The amount of material that we’re tracking online is at such a fever pitch at the moment,” Masters said.
‘Iran’s Red Line Was Crossed’: Security Experts Discuss Iranian Threat To Activate U.S. Sleeper Cells
Iran sent a message to President Donald Trump threatening to activate U.S.-based sleeper cells should he order strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, NBC revealed on Sunday, not long after the U.S. struck three facilities. Given the strikes took place, The Jerusalem Post reached out to U.S. security and community security bodies to ascertain whether the news of Iran-sponsored threat on U.S. soil is new or long-awaited.
Michael Masters, National Director & CEO of the Secure Community Network (SCN) – the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America – said “Iran would not strike in the U.S. unless a red line was crossed.” “That red line was assessed to be direct military engagement, especially targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. That red line has now been crossed.” In Masters’ threat analysis, he explained that SCN has long known the risk of Iran proxy groups and sleeper cells being activated as a result of the war in the Middle East, but that threat has become very real and present as a result of the U.S.’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
American Jews Brace For Fallout From Israel-Iran Conflict
While Israelis are hunkering in bomb shelters, American Jews are on high alert, according to Michael Masters, national director and chief executive officer of the Secure Community Network (SCN), a North American Jewish security organization. He said the American Jewish community has been on heightened alert since the October 7 attacks.
That alert level increased following two recent domestic terror attacks—one in Washington, D.C., and another in Colorado. Now, with Israel’s strikes on Iran, security concerns have intensified further. Masters emphasized that Jewish life must go on. “This is most critical,” he said. “We know that one of the primary goals is to clamp down on Jewish identity and life. We are not going to stop Jewish life. We are not shutting down Jewish life. We are strong, proud, and we stand as a united people.”
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