After Khamenei's Death, Iran Sent A Signal To Activate Sleeper Cells: Report

American intelligence agencies have intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran, raising concerns that the signal could serve as a possible trigger for sleeper operatives outside the country.

According to a federal alert cited by ABC News, the transmission appeared shortly after the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28 in a joint US-Israeli strike.

The alert cites "preliminary signals analysis", suggesting the transmission was "likely of Iranian origin."

According to the ABC news report, the signal was rebroadcast through multiple countries, an unusual pattern that caught the attention of analysts monitoring radio-frequency communications.

The message itself was encrypted and appears to have been meant for recipients who already possess the necessary decryption key. These types of communications are sometimes used by intelligence agencies or militant groups to send instructions without leaving digital traces, as they do not rely on the internet or mobile networks.

"It's possible the transmissions could be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country," the alert said.

"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 notes that there is "no operational threat tied to a specific location."

This comes as the conflict between Iran and Israel continues to expand. The war has now entered its ninth day, and the leadership transition following the death of Ali Khamenei has not slowed the fighting. Israel's military launched a fresh round of strikes on central Iran on Monday and also targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.

These attacks came just one day after Israeli forces struck oil depots in Tehran. Iran has continued responding with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and countries hosting American military bases across the Middle East. On Sunday, two foreign nationals, including an Indian citizen, were killed after a projectile struck a residential area in Saudi Arabia.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said civilian deaths in the country have reached 1,332, with thousands more injured. The United States has also confirmed that a seventh American soldier died while receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the conflict.