Spy agencies claim Russia, China, Iran could incite US poll violence

Russia, China and Iran are intent on fanning divisive narratives to divide Americans ahead of the Nov 5 US elections and may consider fomenting violence after voters go to the polls, US intelligence officials said on Tuesday.

The officials, briefing reporters on US election security, said foreign actors could consider physical threats and violence, and are highly likely to conduct disinformation operations to create uncertainty and undermine the election process.

"Foreign actors, particularly Russia, Iran and China, remain intent on fanning divisive narratives to divide Americans and undermine Americans' confidence in the US democratic system. These activities are consistent with what these actors perceive to be in their interests, even as their tactics continue to evolve," said one official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

That official said influence actors, "particularly from Russia, Iran and China", have learned from previous US elections and are better prepared to exploit opportunities to stoke unrest. Those actors could draw on the same type of tools they have been using in the pre-election period - especially information and cyber operations - and may also consider physical threats and violence, the ODNI official added.

But US intelligence has not seen collaboration between Russia, China and Iran in election influence activities, the officials said. And, while foreign actors might seek to disrupt the process on Election Day, feeding discontent, the voting system is secure enough that they could not alter the outcome.

"Some foreign actors also have the capacity to stoke protests and take violent actions during this (post-election) period," the ODNI official said. "In particular, Iran and Russia are probably willing to at least consider tactics that would contribute to such violence."

A declassified memorandum released after the briefing by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) -- the top US intelligence analytical body - warned that foreign operatives almost certainly will amplify false post-vote claims of election irregularities.

They also may use cyber attacks and espionage to disrupt or alter news and public government websites to promote confusion about the results and spread disinformation about the ballot-counting process, especially in races that are too close.