The FBI has intensified its counterterrorism efforts since the U.S. struck Iran's nuclear sites, sources say. CBS News justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane has the latest.

Washington

The FBI has increased its counterterrorism efforts in response to the recent U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. According to sources, a directive was sent to FBI field offices across the country, instructing officials to prioritize terrorism threats, particularly those potentially linked to Iran.

Homeland security officials have indicated that current concerns about threats from Iran-backed operatives or sympathizers in the United States are at their highest in decades. The FBI's renewed focus comes amid internal discussions about resource allocation and potential future cutbacks in counterterrorism positions, as well as recent budget documents identifying Iran-related threats as a priority.

FBI intensifies counterterrorism efforts after Iran strikes: sources

CBS News can now report the FBI is one of the resources being used to counter potential terrorism threats following the three U.S. strikes on Iran. Sources tell us a memo has been distributed to FBI field offices directing officials to focus on those threats. Let's bring in CBS News Justice Correspondent Scott McFarlane for much more on all of this. Scott, thank you so much for joining us. Can you walk us through your reporting here? What details did that memo outline for how agencies should move forward? Multiple sources tell CBS News the FBI issued a directive to at least some of its major field offices, its bureaus across the country, to refocus, if not redouble efforts to combat terrorism threats in those areas, in those communities, in the wake of this bombing of Iran. Specific operational adjustments or personnel decisions, but that they continuously assess and realign our resources accordingly. But this happens not in a vacuum, but at a moment in which the concern about threats from Iran sympathizers or sleeper cells or potential Iran-backed operatives in the United States is higher than ever, according to homeland security officials and one homeland security expert who spoke with CBS News, at least as high as it's been in the last 40, 50 years. The FBI has part of its mission being counterterrorism and national security, and they are mobilized accordingly. And are you hearing about any pushback over this directive? There's concern about the posture the FBI and the Department of Justice were in prior to this memo, prior to this directive. We have heard from FBI agents and from their attorneys that there's concern that the focus had shifted away from potentially laser-focused on counterterrorism to focused on counterterrorism, but also helping with immigration efforts undertaken by the Trump administration, that it may have diluted their ability to focus on counterterrorism. What's more, the FBI has pitched cutbacks, cutbacks in FBI agent positions, cutbacks in national security division positions inside the Department of Justice. Those are positions that would otherwise be part of a counterterrorism effort. Those are poised for cuts in 2026. And just 10 days ago, Scott, the FBI released an unrelated internal report on Iran. What do we know about that? This is the FBI's budget summary, which not only includes some dollar amounts and staffing plans, but it also includes priorities. And on June 13th, a week and a day before the bombings against Iran, the FBI specified and the Department of Justice specified in that budget summary that a priority is going to be combating threats that are tethered to, connected to Iran. They saw this potential threat coming in 2026, this continuing to emerge threat of Iranian-backed strikes against the United States and said they would be marshaling resources accordingly. That was before last Saturday. Now the memo that they're redoubling those efforts comes after last Saturday, too. Scott McFarlane, thank you so much for the context and for your reporting. We appreciate it.

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