New Yorkers woke up Saturday morning to news the United States and Israel had launched a large-scale military assault on Iran after weeks of threats.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that state police were increasing their presence at religious, cultural and diplomatic sites statewide, writing on X that “while there are no credible threats at this time, our top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe.”
The NYPD also released a statement on social media saying it was monitoring the situation.
“As is our protocol and out of an abundance of caution, we will be enhancing patrols to sensitive locations throughout the city, including diplomatic, cultural, religious, and other relevant sites,” the department said.
New York City is among the top targets of terrorism in the U.S. due to its dense population and its position as the unofficial capital of American financial and media industries. The United Nations is also based in Manhattan.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who’s developed a surprisingly cordial relationship with the president, decried the attacks as “a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression.”
He said he was “focused on making sure every New Yorker is safe” and was in contact with police and emergency management officials.
He also dedicated part of his statement to Iranian New Yorkers. “You are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders,” he wrote. “You will be safe here.”
In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump called the military campaign “massive and ongoing” and said it came in response to Iran’s refusal to abandon its “nuclear ambitions”
“For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests,” he said.
Sen. Chuck Schumer said the administration had left Congress and the American public in the dark about the “scope and immediacy” of the threat from Iran. He called on the administration to offer senators a private briefing on the matter and called on Congress to return to D.C. to reassert its authority to authorize acts of war.
The strikes follow days of U.S.-Iran negotiations over the country’s nuclear program.
Police urged anyone seeing anything suspicious to call 1-888-NYC-SAFE or 911.
This story has been updated with additional information.
