(NewsNation) — Major cities across the United States are on heightened security alert following Saturday night’s air strikes targeting nuclear facilities in Iran, with law enforcement agencies around the country deploying additional forces to protect potential targets from retaliatory attacks.
The New York Police Department, the nation’s largest municipal police force, issued security advisories and increased patrols around religious, cultural and diplomatic sites Saturday night. The department coordinated with federal partners while monitoring for potential threats to the city.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners. We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC,” the NYPD stated on social media.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media early Monday evening that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours.
Law enforcement officials expressed particular concern about “soft targets” including churches, synagogues and tourist attractions that could be vulnerable to attack. Police departments in smaller cities across the country also increased security measures, citing concerns about potential threats during summer events and parades.
NewsNation has obtained a memo from Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott warning that “thousands of Iranian nationals have been documented entering the U.S. illegally, and countless more were likely among the known and unknown gotaways.”
At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a bulletin warning of a “heightened threat environment.”
A source close to the White House tells NewsNation officials are actively monitoring the situation, which has major U.S. cities across the U.S. on edge.
Former FBI agent concerned about potential Iranian cyberattacks
National security experts warned that Iran’s cyber capabilities pose a significant threat to U.S. infrastructure. Former CIA spy and NewsNation’s national security contributor Tracy Walder said Iran has previously launched successful cyber attacks against major American banks, including Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase.
“Iran is pretty cyber capable, to be completely honest,” Walder said. “They have launched denial of service attacks successfully here in the United States.”
She also raised concerns about potential terrorist cells already operating within the United States. Walder pointed to previous prosecutions of individuals connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who were active on U.S. soil.
The Department of Homeland Security pledged to work with local authorities to protect American cities, with officials suggesting federal assistance may be necessary for smaller police departments lacking adequate resources.
Air Force base that sent strikes takes extra caution
The Air Force base in Missouri from which the pilots left to complete the strikes on Iran is also trying to ensure the safety of residents and military members.
Knob Noster Mayor Garret Carter said the city is taking extra security precautions after the bombings, but wouldn’t go into detail. He said that if the city were to be targeted, he believes the Air Force base would be the primary target.
“At this time, I don’t see any reason for fear,” said Carter. “I feel like we’re situated well enough in the continental U.S. that we’re fairly safe.”
Carter added that no known threats have been brought to his attention yet.