After the U.S. airstrikes crippled Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night, a travel security expert said it is imperative for Americans to have a plan to escape to safety in the event of an attack on a travel hub. 

Robert McDonald was a Secret Service agent for more than 20 years and is an expert in executive protection, intelligence and protective travel logistics. During that time, he coordinated security for U.S. and foreign dignitary visits. 

Now, he is a professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven. 

“There are those type of areas where people are coming and going. People are transient. Lots of people go there every day,” he told Fox News Digital in reference to airports and bus and train stations. “Anything can happen at any time. Again, you’ve just got to be able to be cognizant of your surroundings, be situationally aware and be able to get yourself out of a situation if something was to happen.”

An Iranian demonstrator holds an anti-American sign. (Getty)

Since Saturday’s bombings in Iran, a leading state sponsor of Islamic terrorism, major metropolitan areas including New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Miami have stepped up security protocols. 

Fox News contributor Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector who monitored terror cells, told Fox News Digital that police are upping patrols, particularly at relevant religious sites, and also monitoring for online chatter from potential terror threats. 

“[NYPD] will put out special attention patrol cars at locations that could track to the conflict in places that have an Israeli connection, and there’s a couple of Shia mosques – Iran is Shia – and there are a couple of Shia mosques,” Mauro told Fox News Digital. “You never know what’s going to develop. So [they’ll] liaise with those communities. They’ll talk to them, they’ll put special patrol, special attention patrol.” 

“You’re going to look very closely online,” he said. “You’re going to be monitoring a lot of the online stuff. NYPD has a very robust cyber counterterrorism program, and you’re going to do that very heavily.”