Trump fears Iran could target U.S. cities. See which get extra safeguards

Trump fears Iran could target U.S. cities. See which get extra safeguards

President Trump suggested Tuesday that the financial cost of the Iran war to Americans is a price worth paying to keep the U.S. safe.

Why it matters: Trump's comments ignited backlash, but the federal government has spent years helping high-risk U.S. urban areas detect radiological and nuclear materials that could be used in an attack.

Driving the news: During his Nebraska rally Tuesday night, Trump appeared to argue that rising costs due to the Iran war represent "a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe."

  • "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe," he said. "They can take out a city. Let them take, let it — let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. That's — this is a very small price to pay, and it's gonna be over very soon."
  • A Trump administration account posted on X that the war is meant to "STOP Iran from having the ability to take out LA and San Diego."

    • The big picture: The federal government maintains contingency plans to respond to terrorist attacks and disasters nationwide.

  • But the Department of Homeland Security's Securing the Cities program goes a step further by giving some high-risk metro areas specialized capabilities to protect themselves in case of an attack.

    • How the U.S. protects cities

    How it works: DHS' STC program outlines 13 regions covering 14 high-risk urban areas that need protection from attacks.

  • It primarily acts to help state and local agencies "detect radiological and nuclear materials that could be used" in terrorist attacks, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

    • The program began in 2007 as a pilot program for the New York City/Jersey City/Newark region before later expanding. The DHS' Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office runs it and "coordinates and manages the detection effort for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and health security threats" in specific regions, per a DHS statement.

    By the numbers: DHS has given $300 million to the STC regions through 2023 to help them buy radiation detectors, train officers and build systems for spotting potential radioactive or nuclear material that could be used in an attack.

    Where DHS funds nuclear detection

    The DHS program covers:

  • New York City/Jersey City-Newark, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Washington, D.C. and the national capital region.
  • Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Miami, New Orleans.
  • Phoenix/Maricopa County, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle.

    • Why DHS protects these cities

    Under federal law, the STC program cities must be selected from high-risk urban areas chosen by the Urban Area Security Initiative.

  • UASI assesses population size, threats, vulnerabilities and the consequences of terrorism to select its locations.

    • Between the lines: Naming a city as high-risk doesn't necessarily mean the DHS thinks an attack is imminent there. The government considers how vulnerable the region is and how severe an attack would be.

    Flashback: A GAO nuclear terrorism report from 2010 similarly described cities that were at high or medium risk for an attack.

    Other federal threat-preparedness programs

    Zoom out: The DHS and CWMD also have a biological-agent preparedness program called BioWatch, which aids "at least 30 metropolitan areas prepare to respond to biological threats.

  • The program uses "a combination of detection, notification, preparedness, and planning" to help city, state, local and federal officials prepare for an attack.
  • FEMA has shared a Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation, which addresses responses to potential nuclear detonations.