The FBI has issued a stark warning about foreign interference in US elections, singling out Russia and Iran as the biggest threats.
In a joint statement issued on November 4, the FBI, in cooperation with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), highlighted ongoing efforts by foreign adversaries—particularly Russia and Iran—to Undermining public confidence in the electoral process and sowing discord among Americans.
“Since our statement on Friday, the Intelligence Community (IC) has been watching foreign adversaries, particularly Russia, conduct additional influence operations designed to undermine public confidence in the integrity of US elections and sow divisions among Americans,” the statement read.
“The ICRC expects these activities to intensify during Election Day and in the coming weeks, and to focus narratives of foreign influence on swing states.”
Russia has been identified as the most active threat
The joint statement singled out Russia as the most aggressive party in these influence operations. It said Russian entities are manufacturing videos and creating fake news stories aimed at questioning the legitimacy of the election, instilling fear about the electoral process, and portraying Americans as using violence against each other over political differences.
“Russian influence parties recently published and amplified an article falsely claiming that U.S. officials across swing states are planning to orchestrate election fraud using a range of tactics, such as ballot box stuffing and cyberattacks,” the agencies noted.
Additionally, they pointed to a fabricated video depicting an interview with someone alleging election fraud in Arizona, including fake overseas ballots and manipulation of voter rolls to favor Vice President Kamala Harris. The Arizona Secretary of State has refuted these claims as false.
These efforts, according to intelligence agencies, “threaten to incite violence, including against election officials.” They expect Russian representatives to continue releasing “additional manufactured content on these topics during Election Day and in the days and weeks after the polls close.”
Iran also poses a major threat
The FBI, along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA, have also highlighted Iran as a major threat of foreign influence. “We have assessed that Iran conducted malicious cyber activities to harm former President Trump’s campaign,” the agencies stated. They said Iranian actors may also create fake media content aimed at suppressing voting or inciting violence, tactics they have used in previous election cycles.
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The intelligence community reiterated that Iran remains determined to retaliate against selected former US officials it considers responsible for the January 2020 killing of IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. It added: “I have repeatedly highlighted former President Donald Trump among Its priority goals. The statement added.
The FBI is cracking down on the circulation of fake videos
On November 2, the FBI issued a separate statement regarding two fake videos circulating online aimed at casting doubt on the US presidential election. Posting on website . “.
“These videos are not authentic, are not from the FBI, and the content they depict is false,” she added.
“Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI works closely with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats and protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote,” the FBI said.
He added, “Attempts to deceive the public with false content about FBI operations undermine our democratic process and are intended to undermine confidence in the electoral system.”
The BBC Verify report revealed evidence linking the fake videos to a larger Russia-based operation that produced hundreds of fake videos targeting the election in recent months. These videos mimic content from US government agencies and more than 50 news organizations, including the BBC, France 24, and Fox News.
“We can link the operation to Russia thanks to some assets that we know were produced by a Russian company,” Guillaume Koster, CEO of CheckFirst, a Finland-based online analytics company that independently investigated the network, told the BBC.
“The other source of evidence is the data set we had access to that proves one of the devices was used to send the emails [by the group] “He was in Russia,” he added.
Advance warnings and continuous efforts
This is not the first time that US agencies have raised the alarm about foreign interference in the electoral process. On October 18, the FBI and CISA issued a public service announcement warning of tactics used by foreign threat actors to spread disinformation during the 2024 US general election cycle.
She said foreign adversaries are using a variety of sophisticated disinformation campaigns, often leveraging new technology such as artificial intelligence to create and spread this content.
“As we approach Election Day, it is important to remember that although elections are political, election security is not. Election security is national security,” said CISA Senior Advisor Kate Conley.
“Incredible efforts have been made across local, state, and federal governments to ensure the security and integrity of our nation’s election infrastructure. Americans must be confident that their votes will count. They must also know that our foreign adversaries will try to deceive us.” They think otherwise.”
The agencies stressed that election security is national security and urged the public to remain vigilant against disinformation campaigns.
