Israel-Iran conflict escalates: US warns of rising threats; New York, Washington, LA on high alert

Washington: The US State Department issued a “worldwide caution” for Americans on Sunday, saying the conflict in the Middle East could put those traveling or living abroad at an increased security risk.“The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East. There is the potential for demonstrations against US citizens and interests abroad,” the State Department’s security alert said.“The Department of State advises US citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution.”In a post on X, NYPD stated, “We’re tracking the situation unfolding in Iran.” “We’re working with our federal colleagues and allocating more resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic locations throughout New York City out of a sense of caution. We’ll keep an eye out for any possible effects on New York City.”According to a June 22 statement from the Department of Homeland Security, if Iranian leaders release a religious ruling “calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland,” then assaults by low-level cyber “hacktivists” are likely to occur, followed by larger attacks.According to a report published in the USA Today, “Iran has a long-standing pledge to attack U.S. government officials after Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in 2020, the agency added, but the assaults on Iran will probably strengthen that pledge.”Additionally, the advisory cautions that “violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators may be inspired by the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict to attack targets who are thought to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or associated with the US government or military in the Homeland.”The Islamic Republic on Sunday threatened US bases in the Middle East and warned that US forces could be attacked in retaliation for the unprecedented airstrikes that the Pentagon said devastated Iran’s nuclear program.“Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces,” Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a message carried by the official IRNA news agency.The United States on Saturday began evacuation flights from Israel for American citizens and permanent US residents living in Israel or the West Bank.It also ordered staff at its diplomatic missions in Iraq and Lebanon to leave those countries.