Federal officials are warning that the threat environment across the United States has intensified after President Donald Trump approved a strategic airstrike in Iran, prompting major cities to ramp up security around religious and high-profile locations.
FBI and Department of Homeland Security leaders convened emergency calls on Sunday with governors and hundreds of law enforcement officials nationwide in response to Trump’s military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. While officials said there is currently no credible threat to the U.S. homeland, the federal government is urging heightened vigilance.
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“Secretary Noem has spoken with Governors nationwide, as well as state and local law enforcement to ensure our partners at every level of government have the information they need to keep their communities safe,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict.”
A DHS official added Monday that the likelihood of violent extremists in the U.S. 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.”
The calls to governors came after the U.S. military struck Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities in a mission known as Operation Midnight Hammer. The Defense Department confirmed that the strikes were carried out with B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk missiles, severely damaging Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities.
Threat of sleeper cells ‘never been higher’
Meanwhile, the threat of sleeper cells inside the U.S. has also “never been higher,” according to Customs and Border Protection. In a memorandum sent Saturday by CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, the agency warned that “thousands of Iranian nationals have been documented entering the United States illegally and countless more were likely in the known and unknown got-a-ways.”
“Though we have not received any specific credible threats to share with you all currently, the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran has never been higher,” Scott wrote in a memo obtained by NewsNation, urging CBP personnel to remain “vigilant.”
During the federal briefings with states, FBI officials said the agency’s “posture is going to be enhanced,” with more personnel in the field and monitoring of intelligence streams. DHS intelligence official Jim Dunlap noted that the strikes “raise the threat environment,” though he added that Iran’s response may hinge on whether Tehran perceives its regime stability as under direct threat, according to ABC News.
The Secure Community Network, which coordinates security for Jewish institutions, told officials on the call that it had already flagged more than 1,600 online threats against the Jewish community. SCN CEO Michael Masters said the community should now be considered “at elevated risk” for retaliatory violence, warning that Iran’s “red line” for action had been crossed.
Heightened security also comes as FBI Director Kash Patel has pledged to make sweeping changes to the bureau in recent months, announcing last month that more than 1,500 FBI agents would be shifting to field offices across the country and away from the main headquarters in Washington.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is slated to testify before a congressional committee Monday, and she could be asked questions regarding how the Justice Department is assessing potential threats.
Cities increase security presence
Major cities began implementing enhanced security protocols Sunday night following the federal warnings.
In Washington, the Metropolitan Police Department ramped up patrols around synagogues, mosques, embassies, and public landmarks, including the National Mall. Homeland Security officials said they are actively monitoring for “asymmetric” threats such as cyberattacks or lone-wolf violence.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police Department. pic.twitter.com/9iVUmlNl1O
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) June 22, 2025
“There are no known threats to the District,” MPD said in a statement, confirming the police department’s coordination with federal and local partners. District residents were advised to sign up for emergency alerts and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
In New York, Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch increased patrols near cultural, religious, and diplomatic sites “out of an abundance of caution.” Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) emphasized there was no specific threat but said officials were taking the situation “extraordinarily seriously.”
The reach of the NYPD is truly extraordinary, particularly as it relates to our intelligence and counterterrorism apparatus. We have over a dozen detectives embedded within international law enforcement agencies who serve as our eyes and ears for threat awareness overseas.
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) June 22, 2025
This… https://t.co/z2qIaoEpoM
New York City Police Department officials said they are in contact with their 14 overseas liaison posts, including four in the Middle East, to monitor evolving threats and ensure intelligence-sharing with international partners.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass announced stepped-up patrols at community centers, synagogues, and other gathering places across the city. The Los Angeles Police Department is especially focused on areas with large Iranian and Jewish populations, such as Westwood’s “Tehrangeles” neighborhood.
Following the bombings in Iran, Los Angeles is closely monitoring for any threats to public safety.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) June 22, 2025
There are no known credible threats at this time and out of an abundance of caution, LAPD is stepping up patrols near places of worship, community gathering spaces and other…
Michigan church shooting prompts paranoia
Amid the elevated threat posture, a violent incident on Sunday at a church in Wayne, Michigan, stoked online speculation that Iranian-linked sleeper cells might already be active in the U.S., and as FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed, FBI field officers were on site investigating the attempted attack.
DC Draino, a conservative influencer with a large following on X, posted about the shooting at CrossPointe Community Church, asking, “Have the Iranian sleeper cells already been activated?” alongside footage of churchgoers evacuating amid gunfire.
The Wayne Police Department pushed back on the suggestion in a statement issued late Sunday evening to the Washington Examiner, saying there was no evidence linking the incident to the Middle East conflict. The department identified the shooter as Brian Anthony Browning, a 31-year-old white male from nearby Romulus, Michigan.
Browning, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, handgun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, opened fire outside the church before being run over by a parishioner’s truck and fatally shot by the church’s security team. One member of that team sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
“There is no evidence to believe that this act of violence has any connection with the conflict in the Middle East,” Wayne Police Department officials said in a press release.
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Investigators say Browning may have been experiencing a mental health crisis, and firearms were later seized from his home.
Officials across the country continue to urge caution and situational awareness, while emphasizing that security efforts remain dynamic and based on evolving intelligence assessments.