FBI raises counterterror teams to high alert amid Iran tensions

FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday that helium has placed the bureau’s counterterrorism and quality teams connected precocious alert arsenic U.S. operations against Iran unfold.

"Last night, I instructed our Counterterrorism and quality teams to beryllium connected precocious alert and mobilize each assisting information assets needed," Patel wrote connected X. "Our JTTFs passim the state are moving 24/7, arsenic always, to code and disrupt immoderate imaginable threats to the homeland."

Patel added that portion the U.S. subject is handling unit extortion overseas, the FBI "remains astatine the forefront of deterring attacks present astatine home" and volition proceed moving astir the timepiece to support Americans.

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a briefing astatine the White House successful Washington connected Nov. 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

A instrumentality enforcement root said the displacement typically means the bureau would summation surveillance of precedence suspects, task confidential sources and reappraisal method quality collection.

The heightened posture follows ongoing U.S. strikes connected Iranian targets arsenic tensions escalate crossed the region.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is "in nonstop coordination with our national quality and instrumentality enforcement partners arsenic we proceed to intimately show and thwart immoderate imaginable threats to the homeland."

The alert besides unfolds during a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

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Smoke rises implicit the metropolis aft the Israeli service launched a 2nd question of airstrikes connected Iran successful Tehran connected 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 modular signifier erstwhile U.S. subject operations intersect with adversaries that person historically responded done indirect oregon unconventional retaliation.

"The quality and counterterrorism communities enactment connected this benignant of script continuously, agelong earlier immoderate struggle begins," Pack said. "When the United States commits to a associated subject run with Israel, the home menace situation doesn’t simply stay static. It could shift, perchance significantly."

Pack said adversarial actors — including Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas’s outer networks and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps proxies — person historically demonstrated some intent and, successful immoderate cases, the capableness to respond to American subject commitments.

Pack said specified steps bespeak a proactive posture.

"This is not reactive," helium said. "It’s an ongoing subject built into the regular enactment of knowing threats earlier they materialize."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Secret Service said it is actively monitoring the concern and coordinating with national and section partners. The bureau said its protective exemplary is adaptable to the existent information situation and that the nationalist whitethorn announcement an accrued instrumentality enforcement beingness astir protected sites.

In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it is intimately monitoring events successful Iran and coordinating with local, authorities and national partners to safeguard residents and visitors.

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Bombing occurs successful Tehran, Iran, connected Feb. 28, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Getty Images)

"At this time, determination are nary known threats to DC," the section said. "We are prepared to summation our beingness arsenic needed."

Police urged residents to stay vigilant and study suspicious activity.

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