New York City is on high alert after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned of possible terror attacks in the US following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The US inserted itself into the Israel-Iran conflict early Sunday, launching missiles at three of Iran’s nuclear facilities in an attack that Donald Trump claims inflicted “monumental damage”. In a bulletin issued on Sunday, DHS officials warned of the potential for Iranian-led attacks by terror cells who may be inspired to retaliate following the US strikes over the next three months.
It comes as it emerges that Iran reportedly sent a message to Trump warning of sleeper cell attacks days before the US launched strikes. “The ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States. Low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks,” the DHS said.
The department added: “The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland. Multiple recent Homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks.”
New York City has already begun responding to the elevated threat. The NYPD have stepped up security and are coordinating with Federal partners to monitor intelligence regarding any threats.
A 2018 report by the National Counterterrorism Center stated that Shia/Iran sponsored terror on the US homeland is unlikely, except if the US was to attack Iran. Now, there are two major concerns, the first one being a lone wolf attacker.
“Then you have the other type which a term we’ve used is sleeper cell – people who are agents of a foreign power – here in the United States and at times maybe they’re just here to collect and spy,” ABC News Contributor Rich Frankel said. “They’ve been told if something happens – they have an action plan – they have a plan to attack somebody or some location here in the United States.”
In a statement on Sunday, the NYPD said: “We’re tracking the situation unfolding in Iran. 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 has deployed additional resources to religious, cultural and diplomatic sites across New York City. On Sunday, there was a police presence at the Israeli Consulate, in front of Trump Tower and outside Temple Emanu-El.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch have also met with international liaisons to discuss how the situation in the Middle East could have repercussions on the city. New York Governor Kathy Hochul wrote in a post on X that the “New York State Police are working to protect at-risk sites and fight cyberattacks.”
“My top priority is the safety of all New Yorkers,” she said. “I am receiving intelligence briefings and closely monitoring the evolving situation in Iran alongside federal and local partners.”
