US on alert: Heightened threat monitoring across states after strikes on Iranian nuclear sites

Mint

5 hours ago

In the wake of US strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities, federal authorities and leaders across several major US cities and states have ramped up security measures and threat monitoring, citing concerns over possible retaliatory threats.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino affirmed the agency's readiness in a message posted on X, stating, 'Our assets are fully engaged. We remain vigilant. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.'
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed the commitment, saying, 'We will work unceasingly to protect the American homeland.'
Local law enforcement agencies and municipal leaders from New York to Los Angeles have responded swiftly to the growing geopolitical tensions.
In New York City, officials have deployed additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic locations. 'We're tracking the situation unfolding in Iran. Out of an abundance of caution, we're deploying additional resources... and coordinating with our federal partners,' the New York Police Department said in a statement.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that the LAPD is increasing patrols near places of worship and other sensitive areas. 'We will remain vigilant in protecting our communities,' she said.
Washington, DC, is also taking steps to protect its residents. The Metropolitan Police Department has increased its presence at religious institutions, with Mayor Muriel Bowser urging public awareness. 'Together, we are monitoring intelligence and, as always, ask everyone to stay vigilant.'
Beyond the nation's largest cities, states including New Jersey, Texas, and Illinois have also issued alerts and are stepping up surveillance.
Authorities continue to coordinate with federal partners to assess potential threats in real time, reinforcing the nation's defensive posture in response to evolving global developments.
In a bold and unprecedented move, the United States has directly joined Israel's ongoing military campaign against Iran, launching coordinated strikes on three of Iran's key nuclear facilities — Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — early Sunday morning.
The strikes, carried out under 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' involved US B-2 stealth bombers, submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles, and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs aimed at fortified underground sites. Pentagon officials confirmed the mission met no Iranian resistance and inflicted 'extremely severe damage.'
'We devastated the Iranian nuclear program,' said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon briefing. 'The operation did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people.'
'Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference.
'We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran... All planes are now outside of Iran air space,' Trump said, later declaring: 'This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR.'
He warned Tehran of further consequences if it retaliates, stating,
'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran.'
Despite asserting that Iran is not actively pursuing a nuclear bomb, Trump defended the operation as a necessary step to prevent the country from acquiring one in the future.
Iran swiftly condemned the strikes. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed the attacks on its nuclear sites but maintained its program would continue.
Iran's Foreign Ministry accused the US of launching 'a dangerous war' and betraying diplomacy.
'The U.S. has itself launched a dangerous war against Iran,' the ministry said in a statement.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added: 'The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences... The time for diplomacy has passed.'
Hours after the American strikes, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched 40 missiles, including its advanced Khorramshahr-4, at Israeli targets. The Israeli military reported that over 80 civilians were injured, mostly lightly, and a high-rise building in Tel Aviv was heavily damaged.
'Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities... will change history,' he said in a message directed at Trump. 'The U.S. has done what no other country on earth could do.'