Federal officials are increasingly concerned about the possibility of Iran or its supporters retaliating on American soil after the bombing of nuclear sites in Iran by U.S. forces.
In an internal email on Sunday, top officials at the F.B.I. cautioned that Iran and its proxies have “historically targeted U.S. interests in response to geopolitical events, and they are likely to increase their efforts in the near term.”
They urged field offices to monitor their collection platforms and stay in close contact with the Defense Department, including the National Guard, “who may be targeted for retaliation” while “specific attention should be paid to” U.S. military facilities connected to the strikes in Iran.
In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams said that more police officers would be on duty around religious, cultural and diplomatic sites “out of an abundance of caution,” given the situation in the Middle East.
Iran, which the United States has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, has long backed a network of militias across the Middle East in an attempt to extend its influence across the region and undermine Israel. Those militias include Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, who control parts of Yemen.
Separately, the Department of Homeland Security issued a security bulletin stating that the “ongoing Iran conflict” had elevated security concerns in the country and adding that cyberattacks by pro-Iranian hackers were likely.
“The likelihood of violent extremists in the homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the homeland,” the bulletin said.
It noted that “cyberactors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against U.S. networks.”
Such advisories are typical after American forces take significant military action overseas, reflecting a worry by national security officials that people living in the United States may be angry or compelled to lash out. The relationship between Iran and the United States is particularly fraught in recent years, particularly given that U.S. officials have accused Iran of trying to assassinate American officials, as well as Iranian dissidents in the country.
In a conference call on Sunday, D.H.S. and F.B.I. officials cautioned state and local law enforcement officials of the possibility of threats to U.S. communities. During the call, the nonprofit organization Secure Community Network, which provides safety consulting and training for Jewish facilities across North America, said that the level of threats was very high.
“Iran would not strike in the U.S. unless a red line was crossed,” said Michael Masters, the group’s chief executive, according to a summary of the call. “That red line was assessed to be direct military engagement, especially targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. That red line has now been crossed.”
The bulletin by the Department of Homeland Security said that the Iran-Israel war “could also motivate violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the US government or military in the homeland.”
Former F.B.I. officials said the bureau was well versed in these situations and would ask informants to find out if there were any new threats while scrutinizing existing cases, including possible surveillance of those being investigated.
In its email on Sunday, the F.B.I. said to prioritize tips potentially associated with Iran or its proxies.
Carlos Fernandez, a former senior F.B.I. agent in charge of New York’s counterterrorism division, said the agents had to take seriously the possibility of sleeper cells in the United States, especially since Iran has been accused of plotting to kill President Trump before the election and a human-rights activist in Brooklyn.
Indeed, the bureau has also uncovered members of Hezbollah, who trained in Lebanon but then returned moved to the United States, where they were eventually arrested in Michigan and New York and charged with terrorism.
“It’s very real,” he said. “It’s a legitimate concern.”
Adam Goldman writes about the F.B.I. and national security for The Times. He has been a journalist for more than two decades.
Devlin Barrett covers the Justice Department and the F.B.I. for The Times.
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