The United States is on heightened alert amid fears of retaliatory terror attacks by Iranian-backed operatives, following President Donald Trump’s dramatic airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure late Saturday.
Speaking Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Vice President JD Vance warned that security agencies are closely monitoring potential threats, particularly from individuals connected to terrorist watch lists who may have entered the U.S. in recent years.
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“We feel very confident in our FBI and law enforcement that we’re on top of the situation,” Vance said. “But yeah, we’re looking at this very closely… We’re doing everything we can to keep our people safe.”
Homeland Security Measures Intensify
Police departments in Washington, D.C., New York City, and other major urban areas have increased their presence around places of worship and sensitive public locations. The Department of Homeland Security is said to be working with local law enforcement to ensure rapid response capabilities in the event of a coordinated attack.
According to senior officials speaking to NBC News, the next 48 hours are considered a critical window, with U.S. intelligence agencies concerned that sleeper cells tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may have received activation orders.
White House Monitors Domestic Threats
The White House is reportedly reviewing intelligence on potential Iranian assets already present on U.S. soil, including individuals who may have entered the country during the Biden administration. Vice President Vance directly criticized former immigration policies, suggesting they allowed high-risk individuals to slip through.
The FBI, CIA, and National Counterterrorism Center have all issued internal alerts, urging vigilance as geopolitical tensions surge to their highest point in years.
Background: Strikes and Shifting Strategies
Saturday’s airstrikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — Iran’s three main nuclear facilities — marked a significant escalation in U.S. military engagement in the Middle East. Though President Trump has long opposed new wars, officials close to him say the timing of the strike came after Israeli intelligence revealed vulnerabilities in Iran’s air defense networks, especially those previously believed to be shielded by Russian systems.
“This may be Trump’s biggest foreign policy gamble yet,” said Fred Fleitz, a former national security adviser during Trump’s first term. “But he acted only when the odds had started to turn his way.”
Fleitz noted that last year’s Iranian missile attacks on Israel had inadvertently exposed Tehran’s defensive infrastructure. “It gave Israel a chance to probe and map their weaknesses,” he said.
Military Assets at Risk Abroad
More than 40,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed across the Middle East, including in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and aboard naval vessels in the Persian Gulf. Officials have not ruled out the possibility that Iran may target American soldiers or diplomatic compounds in the region as part of a broader retaliation strategy.
Despite the risks, Trump defended the strikes as necessary to halt what he described as “an advancing nuclear threat.” Tehran, meanwhile, has condemned the attacks as a violation of international law and vowed “unrestricted retaliation.”
With the region on edge and American cities bracing for the worst, the coming days could prove pivotal — not just for U.S.–Iran relations, but for global security.
New Daily Prime will continue to report on this developing story.
