What is a sleeper cell?
Iran has threatened to activate its network of “sleeper cells” after Donald Trump unleashed American bombs on its key nuclear sites.
A sleeper cell is a small group of spies, terrorists or resistance fighters who are secretly embedded in a target country.
Their handlers order them to live regular lives and blend into society, remaining “asleep” – sometimes for years – until they’re activated to carry out acts of espionage or terrorism.
The lack of communication with their controlling country is designed to make it more difficult for the military, security services, or police to detect them.
The groups are usually quite small, with the members knowing little about each other beyond their concocted identities – making it more difficult for them to inform on each other if compromised.
Sleeper agents for Iranian-backed Hezbollah are said to have already been established across the world. In 2021, a Hezbollah cell bombed a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria after years of planning. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is also well-known for its activation of sleeper agents on British soil
