According to sources familiar with U.S. intelligence, Tehran warned it would unleash sleeper terrorist cells within the United States if the attack went forward.

The revelation sheds light on the high-stakes confrontation between Washington and Tehran. While Trump ultimately approved cyber operations and covert sabotage against Iran’s nuclear program, he refrained from a direct military strike — a decision now understood to have been influenced, in part, by this direct threat.

Intelligence officials believe Iran’s threat was aimed at deterring U.S. military action by reminding Washington of its global reach and asymmetric warfare capabilities. The message allegedly reached Trump through backchannels involving foreign intermediaries.