Iran is more willing to launch terrorist attacks inside the US in response to perceived threats to the regime in Tehran, America’s top intelligence official told Congress on Tuesday.
James Clapper, director of national intelligence, said that the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the US, which was uncovered last year, reflected much stronger support among senior leaders in Iran for attacks on the US.
The stark warning comes amid rising tensions between the western powers and Iran over Tehran’s alleged efforts to build a nuclear weapon and also follows speculation that either Israeli or US spies are conducting covert attacks on the Iranian programme. New European and US sanctions threaten to inflict serious damage on the Iranian economy and have prompted threats from Tehran to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.