New York, Washington on high alert after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites

New York, June 22 (IANS) US authorities are on heightened alert following the American-led military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, with major cities like New York and Washington stepping up security across sensitive locations.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced enhanced deployments to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites throughout the city.

"We're tracking the situation unfolding in Iran," the department said in a post on X.

"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," it added.

The NYPD's move comes as concerns rise over potential retaliatory threats or lone-wolf incidents inspired by the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States.

In the nation's capital, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) issued a similar advisory.

"The Metropolitan Police Department is closely monitoring the events in Iran. We are actively coordinating with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to share information and monitor intelligence in order to help safeguard residents, businesses, and visitors in the District of Columbia," the department said in a statement.

While the MPD clarified that there are currently "no known threats to the District," it confirmed an increased police presence, particularly at religious institutions.

"We continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and help keep our community safe," the statement added.

The coordinated precautionary measures underscore the growing concern among US security agencies about the ripple effects of the military confrontation in the Middle East.

Trump announced that America had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran and warned Tehran of further precision strikes unless it ended its confrontation with Israel. The targeted locations reportedly include the highly fortified Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities.

Addressing a media briefing just hours after the strikes on Saturday (US time), Trump stated, "I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on a operation, the likes of which the world has not seen in many many decades. Hopefully we no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope so."

"This cannot continue. There will either be peace or tragedy for Iran, far greater than what we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left."

"Tonight was the most difficult of them all by far and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There is no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight, not even close. There is never been a military that could have done what took place just a little while ago," he added.

The US President asserted that the strikes were aimed at crippling Iran's "nuclear enrichment capacity and put a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror."

Despite weeks of diplomatic efforts to renegotiate a nuclear agreement with Tehran -- following the US withdrawal from the 2015 accord in 2018 -- Trump has now thrown full support behind Israel's military campaign against Iran's nuclear infrastructure and high-ranking military officials, a campaign launched a little over a week ago.

--IANS

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