Trump neutralized Iran. But one big Middle East threat still looms

The world is a safer place because of the destruction of Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities thanks to the bold and effective actions of the U.S. military and the Trump administration. This decisive action follows the Israelis' resolute response to the Iranian-backed October 7th sneak attack on its defenseless civilians. Over the last 21 months, the Israelis have degraded Iran’s military capabilities and decapitated their fanatical leadership. While these actions have crippled Iran’s conventional weapons, they have dramatically increased the risk of Iranian terror proxy attacks against U.S. citizens across the globe.  

The greatest risk is presented by the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah, which is responsible for the death of more Americans than any other terrorist organization. Since the late ’70s Hezbollah has maintained a well-documented presence in the U.S., mainly for terror fundraising, but these so-called sleeper units can instantly morph into violent and lethal operational cells. 

An example of Hezbollah’s enduring presence in the U.S. was the prosecution of a Hezbollah cell in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This case marked a significant chapter in the efforts to combat transnational terrorism on American soil. The investigation, which lasted four years, uncovered a network of criminals and criminal acts supporting international terrorism, demonstrating the global reach of Hezbollah and its strategic presence in American cities. 

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Hezbollah members from the Charlotte cell were arrested, tried and convicted in a federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina. The case brought against the cell included copyright, cigarette tax and counterfeit violations, as well as bank scams, bribery, credit card fraud, identity theft, immigration fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, and "material support to a terrorist organization." Federal courts estimate the cell collected a total of $8 million, funneled through some 500 different bank accounts.  

Hezbollah supporters carry pictures of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Akil during his funeral procession in Beirut, Lebanon on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. Akil was killed in airstrikes targeting Lebanon last week. (AP/Bilal Hussein)

Mohamad Youssef Hammoud, the cell's leader, was sentenced to 155 years in federal prison. Hammoud's older brother, Shawqi Youssef, (a.k.a. "Bassem"), and "right-hand man," received a prison sentence of 70 years. Overall, 26 people were indicted in the operation. Similar cases were later uncovered across the US.  

If anyone doubts the commitment of Iran and Hezbollah to killing Americans wherever they can find them, consider the following:  

‘OPEN BORDERS’ UNDER BIDEN COULD HELP IRAN RETALIATE WITH US TERROR SLEEPER CELLS: FORMER FBI BOSS

• In April 1983, a suicide bomber in a pickup truck loaded with explosives rammed into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Sixty-three people were killed, including 17 Americans, eight of whom were employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, including chief Middle East analyst Robert C. Ames and station chief Kenneth Haas.
• In October 1983, 241 U.S. Marines were killed in a cowardly attack of the Marine Barracks in Beirut.

• On June 25, 1996, 19 U.S. Air Force members were killed when a truck bomb exploded outside the Khobar Towers. A U.S. court found the Iranian government responsible for the attack, committed by Saudi members of Hezbollah. The court ordered Iran to pay $254 million to victims of the attack.
• In June 1985, TWA flight 847 flying from Athens, Greece, was hijacked by Hezbollah operatives. U.S. Navy Diver Robert Stetham was brutally murdered and dumped on the tarmac.

THEY WANT AMERICANS DEAD, TOO — THE THREAT FROM IRAN AND ITS PROXIES

• CIA Station chief William Buckley was kidnapped and tortured for 14 months before his body was found in 1985.
• During the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, Iran/Hezbollah provided improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that targeted U.S. troops, killing over 600 Americans.

FILE: In this June 27, 1996, file photo, a U.S. Air Force officer climbs a pile of rubble to photograph the devastated building in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where a truck bomb destroyed the eight-story building and killed 19 U.S. servicemen, injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Greg Marinovich, File)

• Former FBI Agent Robert Levinson, a father of six, was kidnapped in 2007 while on a business trip in Iran. He was held captive for 18 years. He was declared dead in 2020.
• In January 2024, Hezbollah drones killed three and injured over 40 other American servicemen in Jordan.

IN IRAN'S ‘FOREVER WAR’ AGAINST THE US, REGIME HAS TARGETED AND KILLED AMERICANS WORLDWIDE

• In 2017, two Hezbollah operatives were arrested while surveiling potential targets in New York City.

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A June 2022 study by the George Washington University program on extremism identified 128 individual examples of Hezbollah activity in the US. According to the study: "The majority of cases involved small, centralized hubs of Hezbollah operatives who engage in illegal activities in conjunction with wider criminal enterprises to create an array of networks across America." 

The misguided prioritization of the FBI during the Biden administration on "white supremacist" organizations diverted precious resources away from the greatest threat in its mission portfolio. As a result, the intelligence community is playing catch-up in a no-fail responsibility: to prevent harm to American citizens and interests at the hands of small cells or fanatical single operatives heeding the call from their Iranian masters to activate.  

It is an absolute certainty that the Biden administration’s reckless open-border policies created an unprecedented opportunity for a host of additional international terror cells and individual fanatics to infiltrate into the U.S.  

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The previous administration threw the door open to terrorists and criminals of every description. Border Czar Tom Homan reported that Biden’s policies resulted in the capture and release of over 1,272 Iranian nationals who have melted into this country unvetted and unmonitored. In addition, there were over 2 million "got-aways."

In April 1983, a suicide bomber in a pickup truck loaded with explosives rammed into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. 

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Now that Iran’s military capabilities have been greatly diminished, Hezbollah will revert to its origins as the most prolific and capable terrorist organization in the world. Other terror groups will do the same. The FBI, law enforcement and the intelligence community must be in hyperdrive to address what Homan has described as "the biggest national security vulnerability." 

Prevention of terrorist attacks in the homeland in the post-Biden era presents the greatest challenge since 9-11 and no resource should be spared in supporting this mission.