The FBI has issued a stark warning about foreign interference in the U.S. elections, singling out Russia and Iran as the biggest threats.
In a joint statement released on November 4, the FBI, in collaboration 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 undermine public confidence in the electoral process and sow discord among Americans.
"Since our statement on Friday, the Intelligence Community (IC) has been observing foreign adversaries, particularly Russia, conducting additional influence operations intended to undermine public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections and stoke divisions among Americans," the statement read.
"The IC expects these activities will intensify through Election Day and in the coming weeks, and that foreign influence narratives will focus on swing states."
Russia Identified as the Most Active Threat
The joint statement singled out Russia as the most aggressive actor in these influence operations. Russian entities, it said, have been manufacturing videos and creating fake news stories designed to question the legitimacy of the election, instill fear about the electoral process, and depict Americans as using violence against each other over political differences.
"Russian influence actors recently posted and amplified an article falsely claiming that U.S. officials across swing states plan to orchestrate election fraud using a range of tactics, such as ballot stuffing and cyber attacks," the agencies noted.
Additionally, they pointed to a fabricated video depicting an interview with an individual alleging election fraud in Arizona, involving fake overseas ballots and manipulated voter rolls to favor Vice President Kamala Harris. The Arizona secretary of state has refuted these claims as false.
These efforts, according to the intelligence agencies, "risk inciting violence, including against election officials." They anticipate that Russian actors will continue to release "additional manufactured content with these themes through Election Day and in the days and weeks after polls close."
Iran Also Posing Significant Threat
The FBI, along with ODNI and CISA, also highlighted Iran as a significant foreign influence threat. "We have assessed that Iran has conducted malicious cyber activities to compromise former President Trump's campaign," the agencies reported. Iranian actors, they said, may also create fake media content intended to suppress voting or incite violence, tactics they have employed in past election cycles.
The intelligence community reiterated that Iran remains determined to seek revenge against select former U.S. officials it deems responsible for the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani in January 2020. "It has repeatedly highlighted former President Donald Trump among its priority targets for retribution," the statement added.
FBI Addresses Circulation of Fake Videos
On November 2, the FBI issued a separate statement regarding two fake videos circulating online that aim to cast doubt on the U.S. presidential election. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the bureau stated it was "aware of two videos falsely claiming to be from the FBI relating to election security, one stating the FBI has apprehended three linked groups committing ballot fraud and a second relating to the Second Gentleman."
"These videos are not authentic, are not from the FBI, and the content they depict is false," it added.
"Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI is working 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.
"Attempts to deceive the public with false content about FBI operations undermines our democratic process and aims to erode trust in the electoral system."
A BBC Verify report uncovered evidence linking the fake videos to a larger Russia-based operation that has produced hundreds of counterfeit clips targeting the election in recent months. These videos mimic content from U.S. 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 Kuster, CEO of CheckFirst, an online analytics company based in Finland that independently investigated the network, told the BBC.
"The other source of evidence is a data set we got access to that proves that one of the machines that was used to send emails [by the group] was located in Russia, " he added.
Prior Warnings and Ongoing Efforts
This is not the first time U.S. agencies have sounded the alarm over foreign interference in the electoral process. On October 18, the FBI and CISA issued a public service announcement warning about tactics foreign threat actors are using to spread disinformation during the 2024 U.S. general election cycle.
Foreign adversaries, it said, are using a variety of sophisticated disinformation campaigns, often leveraging new technology like generative AI to create and disseminate this content.
"As we approach Election Day, it is important to remember that while elections are political, election security is not. Election security is national security," said CISA senior adviser Cait Conley.
"There has been incredible effort across local, state and federal governments to ensure the security and integrity of our nation's election infrastructure. Americans should be confident that their votes will be counted as cast. They should also know that our foreign adversaries will try to make them believe otherwise."
The agencies emphasized that election security is national security and urged the public to remain vigilant against disinformation campaigns.
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