New York woke on Saturday to news that the US and Israel had launched a large-scale military assault on Iran overnight — and the NYPD wasted little time putting officers on the ground at the city's most exposed locations. Mosques, synagogues, embassies, consulates and cultural centres all came under increased police presence, not because of any specific threat, but because the department was not willing to wait for one.
There were no credible warnings directed at New York as of Saturday morning, and the NYPD was clear about that. But the department has been through enough to know that a military operation of this scale — one that Iran has already vowed to answer — changes the calculus for cities like New York almost immediately. In a post on X, the department said it was 'closely monitoring events in Iran and the Middle East and coordinating with our federal and international partners', and that officers would be 'enhancing patrols to sensitive locations throughout the city, including diplomatic, cultural, religious, and other relevant sites'. Residents were asked to ring 1-888-NYC-SAFE or 911 with anything suspicious.
The NYPD is closely monitoring events in Iran and the Middle East and coordinating with our federal and international partners. As is our protocol and out of an abundance of caution, we will be enhancing patrols to sensitive locations throughout the city, including diplomatic,…
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 28, 2026
Beyond the Five Boroughs
It was not just the city's police force moving. Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed that New York State Police were also stepping up their presence at similar sites across the state. 'While there are no credible threats at this time, our top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe,' she wrote on X. Nassau County officials on Long Island separately confirmed they had increased patrols, specifically calling out 'intensive patrols of Houses of Worship', stating there was 'no direct threat' but that the county remained 'vigilant and committed to protecting our community.'
Washington DC's Metropolitan Police Department said it was also monitoring the situation, though it stopped short of announcing a similar deployment, noting there were 'no known threats' to the capital.
What Trump Said, and What It Means
President Donald Trump posted a video to his Truth Social account in the early hours of Saturday, confirming that American forces were involved in the strikes. 'A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran,' Trump said, framing the operation around Iran's nuclear ambitions and its ballistic missile programme and insisting that Tehran had 'rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions'. The operation was given the name 'Epic Fury'.
Strikes were reported across at least 24 Iranian provinces, with at least 201 people reported killed. Smoke was filmed rising above Tehran near the compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Iranian media reporting hits also in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran was 'facing another unprovoked act of aggression... imposed on Iranians' and had 'every right, in accordance with international law... to defend ourselves with all might'.
Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 28, 2026
Divided Reactions on the Ground
A protest was already being organised in Times Square for Saturday afternoon, with organisers from The People's Forum describing the strikes as 'an unprovoked, illegal bombing campaign on Iran'. On Capitol Hill, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn, said the administration 'must seek authorisation for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war'. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Trump 'moved forward without seeking congressional authorisation' on a decision that, by Trump's own admission, could cost American lives.
Not everyone on Capitol Hill was opposed. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer called it 'a bold, decisive act of strength', adding that 'the Ayatollah is responsible for killing hundreds of US service members and slaughtering its own people'.
A City on Alert
New York is consistently ranked among the highest-risk cities in the US for terrorism, owing to its density, its international profile and the sheer number of foreign missions based there. When the US enters open military conflict — especially one that has already prompted Iranian retaliatory strikes on Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia — domestic law enforcement agencies do not have the luxury of a wait-and-see approach. The NYPD's move on Saturday was precautionary. But precaution, in a city with New York's history, is never just a formality.
