The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has apologized for a social media post that referred to the people in Iran as “victims” of the U.S. bombing raid that targeted Iran’s nuclear program. The post has since been deleted.

The message was shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday and read, “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran. While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state and federal partners.”

The department then addressed increased security measures.

“At the moment, there are no known threats to Los Angeles County. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are increasing patrol checks at places of worship and other sensitive locations throughout the county.”

In a follow-up post, which has also been removed from X but remains on Facebook, the first two sentences were omitted. Commenters on LASD’s official Facebook page were quick to note the change, with one user commenting, “Damage control stepped in quick,” while another wrote, “Changed your liberal tune a bit!” 

The department later issued an apology for the “offensive and inappropriate” post.

“This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department. As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters. Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities.

We fully recognize that the words and messages we share carry weight. As law enforcement professionals, we are entrusted with a position of public responsibility, and that trust demands that we communicate accurately. In this instance, we fell short of that expectation, and we are taking quick corrective action. We are committed to learning from this failure and to prevent such incidents from occurring again.”

The department said it was conducting an internal review to determine how and why that language was included.

“Steps are being taken to strengthen our social media oversight protocols and ensure that any future communications align with our Department’s standards of professionalism, respect, and accountability,” the department said.