U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matt Whitaker, emphasized that Iran is currently at a critical “decision point” following its conflict with Israel and U.S. military airstrikes targeting its nuclear capabilities.
During an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Whitaker urged Iran to pursue peace, while also highlighting the ongoing national security implications stemming from the current U.S. border situation under the Biden administration.
“It’s obviously a very dangerous world, Jason,” Whitaker stated in an interview with Fox News’ Jason Chaffetz.
He noted that former President Trump had positioned himself as a peacemaker, yet the ramifications of the past four years of Biden’s policies are still being felt, particularly in relation to a porous southern border.
Whitaker mentioned that, according to Tom Homan, former head of ICE, over 1,200 Iranian nationals have entered the U.S. illegally, along with more than a million known “gotaways,” individuals whose identities and whereabouts remain unknown.
“That’s a real challenge,” he warned, emphasizing the national security risks associated with unmonitored entries.
He pointed to statistics indicating that more than 1,500 Iranian nationals were arrested at the southern border between fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2024, with nearly half of this number released back into the United States.
Specifically, 1,504 Iranian nationals were apprehended, and of these, 729 individuals were permitted to remain in the country.
As tensions escalated, following President Trump’s announcement of U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear installations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memo alerting of a “heightened threat environment” within the United States.
While the bulletin from the National Terrorism Advisory System did not specify exact threats, it came in response to Iranian officials’ warnings of potential retaliation.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, DHS officials underscored the importance of safeguarding the nation during conflict times, particularly in light of the ongoing Israel-Iran situation.
The agency noted that the conflict may heighten threats to U.S. soil through possible cyberattacks, violent acts, and antisemitic hate crimes.
Whitaker highlighted the increased risk of Iranian sleeper cells operating within the United States, which places immense pressure on law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant.
He stressed, “Iran should come to the table and should sue for peace, and should make a peace deal with the United States, with Israel, and just say, ‘No more. We want to be in the world where people seek prosperity and a bright future for their citizens.'”
This sentiment underscores the urgency for law enforcement and security agencies, such as the DOJ and FBI, to operate with unerring precision to prevent potential threats posed by sleeper cells.
“This puts a lot of pressure on… DOJ and the FBI to be right 100 percent of the time and seek out these sleeper cells and to make sure that they can’t activate,” Whitaker added, highlighting the critical nature of the current security landscape.
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