The White House accused Tehran of trying to take advantage of Gaza-related protests in the US and described such behavior as unacceptable, following a warning by the top US intelligence official that Iran was trying to stoke discord in American society.
The warning, issued earlier on Tuesday by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, said actors tied to Iran’s government had posed as activists online, sought to encourage protests regarding Gaza and even provided demonstrators with financial support.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said freedom of expression was vital to American democracy, but the government also had a duty to warn citizens about foreign influence operations.
