LA cops forced to delete ‘offensive' post about US strikes on Iran and admit it was ‘unacceptable' in lengthy apology
LOS Angeles police have been forced to delete a social media post about the Iran conflict that they called "offensive and inappropriate."
Cops issued a lengthy apology for speaking out on the issue and falsely suggesting people were killed after the
5
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna speaking at a dedication ceremony in Los Angeles on September 19, 2023
Credit: Getty
5
Satellite images showing the areas of the US attacks on Iran's primary nuclear facility in Fordow
Credit: maxar technologies
Advertisement
5
The original statement issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shared condolences for the "tragic" bombing in a since-deleted post on X on Sunday.
An original version of the post read, "Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran.
"While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners."
Advertisement
No deaths have been confirmed in the US airstrikes on Iran.
A few moments after the post was shared, it was edited to remove mentions of Iranian victims and families.
The statement was also edited to say police were "closely monitoring the situation overseas."
Then, the post was deleted entirely after backlash from social media users, some of whom called the message "embarrassing" and "pathetic."
Advertisement
LASD then shared an apology for the post.
Most read in The US Sun
Breaking
"We are issuing this statement to formally apologize for an offensive and inappropriate social media post recently posted on our Department social media platforms regarding the ongoing conflict in Iran," police said.
"This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department.
Inside Operation Midnight Hammer: How Trump carried out unprecedented Iran attack using decoys in 37-hour covert mission
'"As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters.
"Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities."
Advertisement
The department said it launched an internal review to figure out how the post was created and published.
Police also said they're working to strengthen their social media policies and "ensure that any future communications align with our Department's standards of professionalism, respect, and accountability," the apology added.
LA County Sheriff's Department's statement
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department issued the following apology after sharing a post about the US airstrikes on Iran:
We are issuing this statement to formally apologize for an offensive and inappropriate social media post recently posted on our Department social media platforms
We fully recognize that the words and messages we share carry weight. As law enforcement professionals, we are entrusted with a position of public responsibility, and that trust demands that we communicate accurately. In this instance, we fell short of that expectation, and we are taking quick corrective action. We are committed to learning from this failure and to prevent such incidents from occurring again.
We have updated our social media post and have launched an internal review to determine how it was created and published. Steps are being taken to strengthen our social media oversight protocols and ensure that any future communications align with our Department's standards of professionalism, respect, and accountability.
We appreciate the continued trust of our community and will work diligently to reaffirm that trust every day.
Source:
The LASD hasn't returned The U.S. Sun's request for comment.
It comes after Los Angeles law enforcement officials are already facing backlash for how they handled anti-ICE protests in the city, which saw violence and looting break out earlier this month.
The demonstrations were peaceful at first, but
Advertisement
Cops and local politicians were slammed for
5
Sheriff Robert Luna, right, holding a news conference in downtown Los Angeles on September 20, 2023
Credit: Getty
5
Los Angeles Police Department officers firing non-lethal weapons at protesters on No Kings Day protests on June 14, 2025
Credit: Getty
CONFLICT IN IRAN
The LASD's original post about Iran was shared just hours after Trump entered the conflict between Israel and Iran on Saturday night.
He sent American warplanes to target Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Advertisement
It's unclear if there have been any casualties in the attack, but Trump said the sites were "obliterated."
He
"All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.
Read more on the Irish Sun
"Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!"
Iran has warned that there will be consequences for the strikes.
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
23 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Iran launches missile attacks on US base in Qatar
Iran has launched missile attacks on a US military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region. After the attack, the Gulf nation of Bahrain – which is home to the US 5th Fleet headquarters – temporarily suspended flights in its air space, which is similar to what Qatar did shortly before it was hit. Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base, but said it intercepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. It said its air space is now safe. The US confirmed the air base was targeted by a missile attack from Iran but added that casualties were reported. A Defence Department source said the base was targeted with short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles, and officials are continuing to monitor the situationl. Satellite image showing Al Udeid Air Base (Planet Labs PBC/AP) Tehran said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the US on Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend, signalling its likely desire to de-escalate. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside populated areas. Tehran announced the attack on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it 'a mighty and successful response' to 'America's aggression'. The Ain al-Assad base housing US troops in western Iraq was also targeted, an Iraqi security source said, but Iran did not claim that attack, which could have been carried out by militias. Qatar's Foreign Ministry said the attack by Iran's Revolutionary Guards was 'a flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty, its air space and international law'. Al Udeid is also home to the Combined Air Operations Centre, which provides command and control of air power across the region as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest such unit in the world. The retaliation came a day after the US launched a surprise attack on three of Iran's nuclear sites. Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: 'We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.' Masoud Pezeshkian (Iranian Presidency Office/AP) Earlier in the day, Israel expanded its war against Iran to include targets associated with the country's struggling theocracy, striking the gate of a Tehran prison notorious for holding political activists and hitting the headquarters of the military force that suppressed recent protests. As plumes of thick smoke rose over Tehran, Israel was attacked with another barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. The persistent fire has become a reality for civilians in both countries since Israel started the war to target Tehran's nuclear programme. On the 11th day of the conflict, Israel said it attacked 'regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran', but Israeli officials insisted they did not seek the overthrow of Iran's government, their arch enemy since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Israeli military warned Iranians that it would continue to attack military sites around Tehran over 'the coming days' as its focus shifts to symbolic targets as well. The military issued the warning on the social platform X, though Iranians are struggling to access the outside world as an internet shutdown has crippled the country. The latest strikes unfolded hours after Donald Trump wrote on social media: 'If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said the US president was 'simply raising a question'. However, suggestions of overthrowing the Iranian government drew new anger from Tehran, which insists it will not negotiate at this time and is threatening to retaliate directly against American troops or interests in a Middle East already inflamed by the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. In the Tehran strikes, Israel blew open a gate at Evin prison. Iranian state television shared surveillance footage of the strike at the facility known for holding dual nationals and westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. Evin also has specialised units for political prisoners run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of US and EU sanctions. Evin jail in the suburbs of Tehran (Alamy/PA) Iranian state television aired footage it described as being shot inside Evin, with prisoners under control inside the facility. However, the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre for Human Rights in Iran expressed worry about the condition of prisoners there. 'Many families of current detainees have expressed deep concern about the safety and condition of their loved ones held inside the prison,' it said. Earlier on Monday, Iranian General Abdolrahim Mousavi warned Washington that its strikes had given Iranian forces a 'free hand ' to 'act against US interests and its army'. Tens of thousands of US troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles. The Israeli military also confirmed it had struck roads around Iran's Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access to the site. The underground site was one of those hit in Sunday's attack by the US on three nuclear facilities. 'The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,' Israel's Defence Ministry said. According to an Israeli source, Israel is targeting these sites to put pressure on the Iranian administration but is not actively seeking to topple it. In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected heavy damage at the Fordo facility after Sunday's US air strike. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Michael Gruber/AP) Iran said the US had crossed 'a very big red line' by striking the three sites with missiles and 30,000lb bunker-buster bombs. Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, said Tehran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the agency's board of governors on Monday that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told him on June 13 that Iran would 'adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials'. 'I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared,' Mr Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded. Iran described its Monday attack on Israel as a new wave of its Operation True Promise 3, saying it was targeting the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television. Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem, possibly from air defence systems, and Israel's Magen David Adom emergency rescue service said there had been no reports of injuries. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 950 people and wounded 3,450 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists.
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
Iran launches missile attacks on US base in Qatar
Iran has launched missile attacks on a US base in Qatar. The attack comes after the US struck three nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend. Iran has confirmed that they launched the attack in 'response to the blatant military aggression carried out by the criminal regime of the United States against the peaceful nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' US president Donald Trump. Pic: Daniel Torok/The White House via Getty Images Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that the operation against US forces in Qatar's Al-Udeid base was successful and that 'the number of missiles used equalled the number of bombs the US employed in its attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.' According to the New York Times, Iran coordinated the base attack in Qatar with Qatari officials to minimise casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House Pic: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images Iranian officials told the Times that Iran 'symbolically needed to strike back at the U.S. but at the same time carry it out in a way that allowed all sides an exit ramp.' The White House has said that it is monitoring threats to US bases in the region. At the time of writing, no casualties have been reported. Speaking ahead of Iran's attack, the Taoiseach had called for an immediate de-escalation. Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire 'Diplomacy and dialogue is ultimately the only way to resolve these issues,' Mr Martin said. 'Iran should commit not to develop nuclear weapons and disavow its nuclear and uranium enrichment programme. Nuclear safety is an issue here, modern warfare is very destructive. 'It is civilians who ultimately suffer, and that is why we need an end to these wars and bring an end to conflict.' Mr Martin added that the escalation should not draw attention away from the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. 'We shouldn't lose sight of the catastrophe still unfolding in Gaza, while the war between Iran and Israel continues,' he said.
The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
Timeline: When did Donald Trump really decide to bomb Iran?
AS THE SMOKE clears from Sunday's US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, retrospective analysis of the timeline of events suggest Donald Trump knew he was never going to negotiate with Iran. Called Operation Midnight Hammer, the carefully choreographed bombing of critical sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan was carried out by a fleet of B-2 bombers using 14 'bunker buster' missiles and decoy planes in an effort to destroy what Israel maintains is a nefarious Iranian nuclear programme. In the hours after the mission, Trump claimed it a 'a spectacular military success'. The flight path and timeline of Operation Midnight Hammer. US Defence Department US Defence Department Less than two days prior to 'one of the most complex and historic military operations of all time', in the words of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump communicated that he would make a decision on whether to strike Iran 'within the next two weeks', leaving the door open for negotiations. The New York Times analysed this statement with respect to the timeline of events leading up to US intervention in Iran, suggesting Washington engages in a deliberate exercise of political and military misdirection. 25 March – US says no nuclear threat from Iran The US published its annual threat assessment, stating: 'We continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei has not reauthorised the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.' This was reaffirmed by US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard who told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that month that nuclear weaponisation by Iran was not impending. Trump said this week that Gabbard's testimony before the committee was 'false', after which she has backtracked on her March statement, attacking 'dishonest media' and claiming Iran could soon build a nuclear weapon 'if they decide to'. 12 April – 60-day ultimatum US and Iranian officials held 'constructive' talks in Oman on the subject of limiting Iran's uranium enrichment and moves towards developing nuclear weapons after Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei. In the letter, Trump gave Iran sixty days to show 'substantial progress' on the issue. To keep the ultimatum viable, Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike before then to allow for negotiations to achieve a peaceful resolution. 26 May – Netanyahu warns he will strike Despite Trump's negotiation window facilitating active talks on limiting Iranian nuclear capabilities, Netanyahu told a group of US lawmakers that he would undertake military action against Iran without seeking American approval , according to CNN. Advertisement Netanyahu has for over three decades in politics tried to enlist the help of the US in dismantling Iran's nuclear programme, constantly warning of weaponisation in the very near future, but to no avail. 8 June – Camp David talks Less than a week out from the commencement of Israel's strikes against Iran, Trump and his national security advisers huddled at Camp David where military plans were drawn up. Sources told ABC News that among the items on the agenda in those discussions was Israel's plan to proactively strike upon the passing of Trump's 60-day deadline. This claim has legitimacy, considering reports of daily contact between Trump and Netanyahu prior to Israel's pre-emptive attack on Iran's military sites and army officials. 9 June – IAEA gives verdict The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a statement commenting on Iran's uranium enrichment efforts. IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said: 'Unless and until Iran assists the Agency in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.' 13 June – Israel strikes first One day after the lapse of Trump's 60-day window, Israel began airstrikes against Iran, triggering what have become daily missile exchanges between both sides. The initial attacks killed top Iranian military figures, including Ali Shamkhani, a key nuclear negotiator and close aide to Iran's leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 16 June – Trump ditches the G7 Three days after fighting began, Trump left the G7 Summit in Canada under the guise of working to resolve the conflict. That same day, he shirked any appearance of confidentiality about his country's military plans in Iran, posting to Truth Social: 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' 17-19 June – Trump keeps the world guessing In the week leading up to the American strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, Trump remained ambivalent about whether he would intervene in the conflict, telling reporters 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do'. He faced opposition to the move, even from the most ardent of the Maga movement, including the outspoken Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene and conservative TV host Tucker Carlson. 20 June – America intervenes Trump authorised a fleet of US B-2 bombers to drop 14 bunker busters on Iranian nuclear sites in the early hours of the morning local time. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said 'took months and weeks of positioning and preparation', implying that the US was always fully intent on assisting Israel is dismantling Iran's nuclear capabilities if called upon. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... Our Explainer articles bring context and explanations in plain language to help make sense of complex issues. We're asking readers like you to support us so we can continue to provide helpful context to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Learn More Support The Journal
