Just hours after President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. forces had launched a major airstrike on three of Iran’s nuclear sites, several major American cities were put on high alert. In New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, local authorities quickly stepped up patrols around Jewish institutions, embassies, and religious centers, warning residents to remain cautious even though no specific threat had been reported.
The move followed a dramatic announcement by Trump, “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.”
Cities on Edge: Police Boost Security
In New York, the NYPD said it was “tracking the situation in Iran closely.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC,” the department said on X.
Washington, D.C.’s police force issued a similar statement, reassuring residents that law enforcement was “coordinating with local, state, and federal partners.” Police in both cities stressed there were no credible threats at the moment.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass confirmed that the LAPD was increasing patrols as well. “There are no known credible threats at this time… We will remain vigilant in protecting our communities,” she posted on X.
What Happened in Iran?
On Saturday, the U.S. military carried out a massive airstrike targeting three major Iranian nuclear facilities:
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Natanz
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Fordow (or Fordo)
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Isfahan
These sites have been central to Iran’s uranium enrichment program. The attacks followed a string of Israeli strikes under Operation Rising Lion, aimed at slowing Iran’s reported efforts to reach weapons-grade enrichment levels.
According to President Trump, the U.S. used B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and Tomahawk missiles for the operation. “This is a historic moment for the United States of America, Israel, and the world. Iran must now agree to end this war,” he wrote on Truth Social.
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Natanz Facility:
Located 220 km southeast of Tehran, Natanz is Iran’s main uranium enrichment site. Israeli strikes had already damaged the centrifuges used there. The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, confirmed that most working centrifuges had already been destroyed in earlier attacks. -
Fordow Facility:
Tucked under a mountain near Qom, this site is heavily fortified. Trump confirmed that a “full payload of bombs” was dropped on the facility and later reposted a message that said, “Fordow is gone.”Reports say the U.S. used six GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, each weighing 30,000 pounds—the most powerful non-nuclear bombs in the U.S. arsenal—to target the underground facility.
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Isfahan Facility:
Located southeast of Tehran, Isfahan includes three Chinese research reactors and nuclear labs. It was also targeted in Saturday’s strike.
Aircraft Behind the Strike: The B-2 Spirit
The operation was carried out using America’s B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, which flew over 6,000 nautical miles non-stop from Missouri. These aircraft are capable of sneaking past enemy defenses and are the only ones in the U.S. fleet that can carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs used in this strike.
U.S. military sources confirmed that multiple B-2s took off from Missouri, with mid-air refueling during the journey to and from Iran.
Was There a Radiation Leak?
Despite the scale of the attack, Iranian authorities said on Sunday that there was no sign of radioactive contamination. The country’s National Nuclear Safety System confirmed that no radiation leaks had been detected at any of the sites.
This statement was also backed by Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, though they acknowledged the sites had been “attacked by enemy strikes.”
Cyber Monitoring and House of Worship Protection
Paul Mauro, a former NYPD Inspector, spoke on Fox News about the behind-the-scenes strategy being used to keep American cities safe. “[The NYPD] will put out special attention patrol cars at locations with Israeli or Shia connections… They’ll talk to the communities, park patrol cars in front of houses of worship, and monitor online threats closely.”
Mauro noted that NYPD’s cyber counterterrorism unit would be working overtime to watch for any chatter that could signal an attack.
Trump’s Warning: Peace or More Strikes
President Trump ended his speech with a direct message to Tehran, “There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran. All planes are safely out of Iranian airspace. This was a spectacular success.”
He also made it clear that the U.S. is not aiming for regime change but will continue to act “with precision, speed, and skill” if needed.
