FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Saturday that the bureau’s counterterrorism and intelligence divisions have been placed on high alert amid ongoing U.S. military actions against Iran.
“I directed our Counterterrorism and intelligence units to increase their vigilance and deploy all necessary security resources,” Patel stated on the social platform X. “Our Joint Terrorism Task Forces nationwide are operating around the clock to identify and neutralize any potential threats to the United States.”
Patel emphasized that while the U.S. military focuses on safeguarding its forces abroad, the FBI is committed to preventing attacks within the country, maintaining its protective efforts at all hours to ensure the safety of Americans.
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the media during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on November 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
An insider from law enforcement indicated that such a heightened alert typically involves ramping up surveillance on high-priority individuals, activating confidential informants, and reviewing intelligence-gathering methods.
This increased state of readiness comes as the U.S. continues its military operations targeting Iranian sites, contributing to rising tensions in the region.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is “in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland.”
The alert also unfolds during a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
Smoke rises over the city after the Israeli army launched a second wave of airstrikes on Iran in Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Jason Pack, a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Fox News contributor, said heightened vigilance is standard practice when U.S. military operations intersect with adversaries that have historically responded through indirect or unconventional retaliation.
“The intelligence and counterterrorism communities work on this kind of scenario continuously, long before any conflict begins,” Pack said. “When the United States commits to a joint military campaign with Israel, the domestic threat environment doesn’t simply remain static. It could shift, potentially significantly.”
Pack said adversarial actors — including Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas’s external networks and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps proxies — have historically demonstrated both intent and, in some cases, the capability to respond to American military commitments.
Pack said such steps reflect a proactive posture.
“This is not reactive,” he said. “It’s an ongoing discipline built into the daily work of understanding threats before they materialize.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Secret Service said it is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with federal and local partners. The agency said its protective model is adaptable to the current security environment and that the public may notice an increased law enforcement presence around protected sites.
In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it is closely monitoring events in Iran and coordinating with local, state and federal partners to safeguard residents and visitors.
Bombing occurs in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 28, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Getty Images)
“At this time, there are no known threats to DC,” the department said. “We are prepared to increase our presence as needed.”
Police urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
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