Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a serious warning, stating that the possibility of Iranian “sleeper cells” operating within the Lone Star state is currently under evaluation, as reported by The Hill. This comes as federal authorities are actively investigating a recent shooting in Austin as a potential act of terrorism.
The incident on Sunday in Austin was truly awful, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to 14 others. What’s even more concerning is that the alleged perpetrator was reportedly wearing clothing emblazoned with “Property of Allah” and featuring an Iranian flag design.
Abbott mentioned that when conflicts erupt, especially between the United States and countries like Iran, you often see either sleeper cells or lone wolves becoming active. This is exactly what he believes might have happened in Austin. To counter this, Texas has increased the number of Department of Public Safety officers patrolling streets and sensitive areas, and even deployed the Texas National Guard to ensure preparedness for such events.
Governor Abbott made it clear that Texas is taking the threat of “lone wolf” terrorist activity very seriously
Abbott believes Sunday’s attack was designed to “wreak havoc” across the state. He also emphasized that the United States needs to significantly improve its vetting processes for individuals entering the country, as well as continuously evaluate those who could potentially pose a danger.
Meanwhile, the FBI has also taken proactive steps. On Saturday, FBI Director Kash Patel instructed counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on “high alert” and mobilize all necessary security assets. This directive followed a series of U.S. strikes on Iran, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”
These lethal attacks could definitely have a domino effect in the region, with terrorist organizations linked to Iran possibly rising up in retaliation against strikes from both the U.S. and Israel. Groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various Shiite militias in Iraq could target U.S. forces in the region, leading to even more instability.
An expert, Colin Clarke, who is the executive director of the Soufan Center, noted that the Hezbollah threat is probably the one that causes the most concern in the West. We’ve already seen Hezbollah taking action, firing rockets and drones at Israel. While the Israeli Defense Force successfully shot down the drones and no deaths were reported from these assaults, it’s still a very tense situation.
In response to the attack, 50 southern Lebanese villages were evacuated overnight on Monday.
Published: Mar 3, 2026 02:30 pm