ORLANDO, Fla. — With the conflict with Iran ongoing, some security measures are increasing in Central Florida. Safety experts say it’s time to be vigilant, but not fearful.
What You Need To Know
An MCO spokesperson said Orlando International has increased its security posture in light of the military action taking place in Iran
Dave Benson worked as a federal agent with the U.S. State Department and has decades of experience managing safety and security. He says here in the U.S., it’s not time to panic about what could happen here. But he says it is time to be vigilant about your surroundings
If you’re traveling to a foreign country, Benson says research your destination, make sure you have evacuation and medical insurance in case something happens, and let others know where you’re going
He said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is always working to track potential threats and prevent them from happening
Following reports of extra law enforcement efforts and potential delays over the weekend, Spectrum News reached out to the Orlando International Airport over the weekend regarding security at the airport. An airport spokesperson replied by saying, “Orlando International has increased its security posture in light of the military action taking place in Iran. We are not at liberty to describe the enhancements, some seen and some unseen, that are being deployed because it is a security issue.”
Dave Benson worked as a federal agent with the U.S. State Department and has decades of experience managing safety and security. He said that it’s not time to panic about what could happen in the United States. But he said that it is time to be vigilant about your surroundings — especially if you’re traveling or in areas with a lot of people.
“We want you to be mindful, not fearful,” Benson said.
“Notify people, see something, say something — so that’s something we all can do,” he said.
If you’re traveling to a foreign country, Benson said to research your destination, make sure you have evacuation and medical insurance in case something happens, and let others know where you’re going. You can notify the U.S. State Department for free through the STEP program. He said that by sharing your itinerary with them, they can know where you are and help you if something happens.
“If you don’t report to the embassy and we have a problem — I used to sit on the country teams and say, ‘Where is this? I don’t know where these people are’ — we only focus on people that are in the queue,” Benson said. “So you help yourself by doing that.”
On Monday, President Trump said the strikes on Iran were the last best chance to strike to avoid Iran’s nuclear capabilities from becoming a direct threat to the United States.
UCF associate professor Houman Sadri is an expert on Iran and the U.S.’s longstanding strained foreign relations with the country.
He said that U.S. leaders have become increasingly concerned about Iran’s levels of nuclear capability. He said there were indications the country had reached beyond 60% of uranium enrichment toward nuclear capability.
“That’s a very high level,” Sadri said. “That’s not exactly weapon grade, but that’s very, very close to a weapon grade, so that’s been one of the concerns.
Benson said that Iran’s military capabilities with retaliatory missile strikes are not a threat to the U.S. mainland — only a threat overseas. Here in the states, he said there could be sleeper cells or lone individuals inspired to carry out violence domestically, but he said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is always working to track those potential threats and prevent them from happening.
Benson said that for as long as the conflict lasts, airport security personnel will be extra vigilant and looking for certain potential red flags. He said the best thing travelers can do is to be extra mindful of what items they are bringing through security to avoid any extra delays.