In a decisive military action late Friday night, President Donald Trump ordered targeted airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing confrontation between the United States and the Iranian regime. The strikes—dubbed “Operation Midnight Thunder”—hit key sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, which U.S. intelligence identified as active locations supporting Iran’s uranium enrichment.
The announcement came directly from President Trump on his TruthSocial account, where he declared the mission a success. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space,” he wrote. “Congratulations to our great American Warriors… NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”
But while the world watched Iran’s skies light up, U.S. law enforcement officials were quietly focusing on a different threat: the potential for Iran-backed terrorism inside the homeland.
Multiple sources told CBS News that the FBI, under Director Kash Patel, had ramped up surveillance operations earlier this month, anticipating retaliatory efforts by Iran or its proxy groups. The agency’s primary concern is Hezbollah-linked sleeper cells, which officials fear could be activated in response to U.S. or Israeli military actions.
The domestic monitoring reportedly intensified around the time Israel launched its “Operation Rising Lion” campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure. While both the FBI and the White House declined comment, the timing aligns with increased chatter about Iranian retaliatory threats.
The concern is not new. Since President Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, U.S. officials have repeatedly warned of Iran’s attempts to orchestrate terror plots on American soil. Just last year, the Justice Department charged a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two U.S.-based individuals, in a plot to surveil and potentially assassinate critics of the regime, including President Trump himself.
Past targets have included former national security adviser John Bolton and Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad—both outspoken opponents of Tehran’s leadership. Trump revoked Secret Service protection for Bolton earlier this year, a move that has drawn mixed reactions but underscores the administration’s confidence in U.S. counterterror capabilities.
The White House confirmed this week that Trump had been weighing a strike on Iran’s Fordow facility for several days. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president took time to consider all options, including diplomacy, before choosing action. “There remains a substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place,” Leavitt said before the strike.
Retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt praised the operation’s execution, telling CNN that Trump’s two-week pause appeared to be a strategic delay. “I’m impressed by the deception and trickery. It was classic Trump—a dealmaker move that turned into a military operation,” he said.
Now that the strikes are complete, attention shifts to Iran’s response and any activity from affiliated operatives in the U.S. Intelligence agencies remain on high alert, with the FBI continuing aggressive surveillance of possible domestic threats.
While critics may question the timing or method, the Trump administration’s stance is clear: America will not wait to be attacked. It will act—and act decisively.