As tensions continue to escalate in the Gulf, the United States has scrambled its security and intelligence apparatus in anticipation of a possible Iranian counterstrike, following the dramatic bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend.
Federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are reportedly monitoring real-time intelligence after six US B-2 stealth bombers carried out strikes on Iran’s Isfahan, Natanz, and the fortified Fordow nuclear research facility.
The attack, ordered by President Donald Trump, marked the first direct American involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. The Fordow site, buried deep beneath a mountain, was targeted with over a dozen GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators — 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs capable of drilling through hardened underground structures.
In a social media post, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged heightened fears of domestic fallout: “We will work unceasingly to protect the American homeland.” While no direct threats have materialised within US borders, concerns remain high over the safety of military bases and naval deployments in the Gulf.
Also read: Iran threatens attack on US naval fleet, closure of Hormuz Strait
Iran has signalled the possibility of imminent retaliation. Hossein Shariatmadari, senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and editor of the conservative Kayhan newspaper, called for swift military response.
“Without hesitation or delay, as a first step, we must launch missile strikes on the American naval fleet based in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French shipping,” he said.
Following the strikes, reports suggest that security levels have been raised across US embassies and defence facilities in the region, as naval fleets in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf have gone into high alert.
Back home, President Trump’s decision to bypass Congress has sparked controversy. Critics across the aisle have labelled the action “illegal” and politically motivated. Despite receiving support from Israeli leadership, several Republican lawmakers voiced dismay over what they view as unilateral military adventurism.
The situation remains volatile. While the Pentagon has not commented on further deployments, Washington appears braced for retaliatory escalation.
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