U.S. intelligence warns of "diverse array" of global threats in annual assessment

Washington — In a new report released Tuesday, the U.S. intelligence community warned of a "diverse array" of global threats that could further destabilize a world shaken by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, technological change and international competition.

The 2021 Annual Threat Assessment, a 27-page unclassified document outlining the collective view of the country's 18 intelligence agencies, said "the potential for cascading events in an increasingly interconnected and mobile world" would create new and unique challenges, as known adversaries continue to jockey for influence and climate change heightens instability. The report said China, Russia, Iran and North Korea would seek to challenge U.S. interests in different arenas and on multiple levels, and that transnational crime, cyber attacks and terrorist plots posed continued threats. Domestic violent extremists, as the intelligence community forecast in a separate report released last month, will pose an "elevated threat."