- Major US cities have announced increased security in response to concerns over threats stemming from the Pentagon's killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military official.
- Tensions have flared among lawmakers and activists who criticized President Donald Trump's orders for the move, which sparked concerns that tensions in the region could spill over into targeting of US cities and entities.
- The Department of Homeland said there was no existing credible threat of attack from Iran, but lawmakers in cities like Washington, DC, New York City, and Los Angeles announced that authorities would be closely monitoring possible threats and popular areas.
- As congressional lawmakers face upcoming deliberation over next steps, more than 70 protests were planned in cities across the US to push back on the possibility of sending more American troops to the Middle East.
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Major US cities have announced increased security and surveillance as tensions flare in response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military official, under orders from President Donald Trump.
The targeted killing of Gen. Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, sparked concerns over Iranian retaliation against American entities in the Middle East amid existing tensions and a warning from Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said that a "harsh retaliation is waiting" for Americans.
Though Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement that "there are currently no specific, credible threats against our homeland," lawmakers in American hubs including New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles announced increased security measures to ensure authorities were aware of and prepared for possible threats.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser echoed the department's statement that there was no credible threat against the city.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Twitter after the strike was announced that he was deploying the National Guard to New York airports, though there was no credible threat against the city. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also said in a press conference that the development puts the US in a "de facto state of war," and the NYPD would be working to safeguard key spots around the city.
"No one has to be reminded that New York City is the number one terror target in the United States," de Blasio said. "We have to recognize that this creates a whole series of dangerous possibilities for our city."
Soleimani's death shone a refreshed concern on past threats recorded by New York authorities, de Blasio said, specifically "efforts by Iranian proxies to scout and target locations in New York City."
The city of Boston also announced an increased police presence on public transportation and popular attractions across the city, where it asked residents and visitors to remain vigilant.
On Twitter, The Los Angeles Police Department also said though there was no credible, immediate threat to the city, that it urged "every Angeleno to say something if you see something."
Amid the safety concerns for residents and visitors in the cities, dozens of protests were announced in at least 70 cities across the US in response to the killing to push back on the possibility of the US entering a war and sending thousands of more troops to the Middle East.
Groups like Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), an anti-war group, and CODEPINK, a woman-led anti-war organization, were slated to lead demonstrations in locations including local major intersections and government buildings. Protestors also planned to gather in front of the White House, at Chicago's Trump Tower, in Manhattan's Times Square, and at Berlin's Brandenberg Gate.
The Pentagon said in a statement after it completed the fatal airstrike that it had targeted Soleimani because he "was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region," but activists took aim at the move as a reckless move towards a possibly devastating war.
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