The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, in response to the Iran drone strikes in Israel on Saturday.
Officials say they’re paying close attention to any potential threats in L.A. as the conflict in the Middle East could lead to a larger war in the region.
“We are closely monitoring the conflict between Israel and Iran and working with our federal and regional partners to ensure the safety of our communities in L.A. County,” LAPD said in a statement. “As a precaution, we are increasing patrol checks around sensitive and religious sites and engaging with our community leaders to reassure them that the LASD is taking a proactive stance. Currently, there are no specific or credible threats to L.A. County.”
President Joe Biden issued a statement saying the U.S. will provide unspecified support for Israel’s defense in the Iran drone attack.
Iranian officials say they sent in the drone strikes in response to Israel’s military attacking what Iran calls diplomatic facilities in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
There has been an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Approximately 1,200 people — mostly civilians — were killed during a Hamas-backed attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Since then, Israeli forces have retaliated in Gaza, with at least 33,000 Palestinians killed during the military operations.
Tensions have been high locally in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. A 69-year-old Jewish man died following an altercation with a pro-Palestinian protestor in Thousand Oaks in November of last year.
Last week, a shouting match between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protestors almost turned violent in downtown Los Angeles.