NYPD Commisioner Raymond Kelly. Photo: James R. Tourtellotte.

According to New York City’s police chief, Ray Kelly, there is an ongoing concern for the NYPD of an Iran- sponsored terror attack in the city. Citing New York’s large Jewish population, and the increasing threat of retaliation from Iran as sanctions over their nuclear program continue to cripple them domestically, The New York Post quoted Kelly as saying, “Obviously if there’s any action involving Israel and Iran we have to be very cognizant of the potential of retaliation here in New York City.” Kelly made these statements at an anti-terror conference called NYPD SHIELD. A recent study by the UJA-Federation of New York, shows that there are more than 1 million Jews in New York’s five boroughs.

The New York Post article also quotes NYPD Lt. Kevin Yorke of the Intelligence Division as saying, “Within the last year, we’ve seen a worldwide increase in incidents involving the stockpiling of explosives, the surveillance of targets, and a number of very significant plots and attacks[… ]That increase in activity is in direct relation to Iran’s nuclear-weapons program and the tension surrounding it.”

During a visit to the northeastern province of North Khorasan Wednesday, as reported by Ynet, Iran’s supreme leader,  Ayatollah Khamenei, gave no sign of Iran’s willingness to concede to outside pressure, saying in a nationally televised speech that “These sanctions are barbaric. This is a war against a nation…But the Iranian nation will defeat them.”