Organizers of the 98th Academy Awards say security will be heightened for the March 15 ceremony as U.S. officials warn of potential threats tied to the escalating conflict with Iran, People first reported.
Executive producer Raj Kapoor said at a press conference Wednesday that organizers are working with federal and local law enforcement to ensure safety on Hollywood's biggest night.
"Every year we monitor what's going on in the world," Kapoor said.
"We have the support of the FBI and the LAPD, and it's a close collaboration. This show has to run like clockwork.
"But we want everybody that is coming to this show, that is witnessing the show, that is even a fan of the show when they're standing outside the barricades, we want everybody to feel safe and protected and welcome."
Kapoor added that security is a top priority for the production team.
"It's something that we don't take lightly and we take a lot of responsibility for," he said, noting the event relies on one of the "best teams in the business" for security planning.
The comments come after the FBI warned earlier this week that intelligence suggested Iran had considered launching a drone attack against the U.S. homeland.
According to the bureau, information obtained in recent weeks indicates that as of early February, Iran allegedly explored a plan to launch unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the U.S. West Coast, potentially targeting locations in California if the United States carried out strikes against Iran.
The FBI emphasized that the information remains preliminary and unverified.
"We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack," the agency said.
The Oscars, one of the most high-profile entertainment events in the United States, traditionally draws major crowds in Hollywood as well as global television audiences, making security coordination with federal and local agencies a standard part of planning the event.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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