Foreign adversaries are likely already planning to interfere in the 2020 U.S. election, the nation's top intelligence official warned on Tuesday, Politico reported.

In a worldwide threat assessment to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats wrote that competitors such as Russia, China and Iran “probably already are looking to the 2020 U.S. elections as an opportunity to advance their interests.”

In his statement, he predicted that these countries "will use online influence operations to try to weaken democratic institutions, undermine U.S. alliances and partnerships and shape policy outcomes in the United States and elsewhere."

The assessment offered by Coats, based on input from the entire U.S. intelligence community, predicts Russian social media campaigns will focus on "aggravating" social and racial tensions and striking back at anti-Kremlin politicians. Moscow may also seek to spread disinformation, launch cyberattacks and manipulate data.

China is "expanding its ability to shape information and discourse," according to Coats, especially on topics like Taiwan and human rights. Beijing is also capable of launching digital attacks against the U.S. to "censor or suppress" unflattering points of view.

Iran, meanwhile, will continue to use online influence campaigns to advance its interests.