FBI Warns Iran Allegedly Planned Surprise Drone Attack From Unidentified Vessel Off California Coast
Key Takeaways
- FBI warned Iran allegedly planned surprise drone attacks launched from an unidentified vessel off California
- California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, said there was no imminent threat but remained vigilant
- Memo described military-style UAVs, dated early February, circulated to Joint Terrorism Task Force agencies
What FBI alerted
Federal law enforcement agencies circulated an FBI intelligence alert stating that Iran had "allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United State Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran."
“California governor says no imminent threat despite warning about possible Iran drone attack California governor says no imminent threat despite warning about possible Iran drone attack SACRAMENTO, Calif”
The memo—described in multiple U.S. news reports—said authorities have no additional information on timing, method, targets or perpetrators, and urged local law enforcement to be aware of the tip.
The bulletin first surfaced in reporting by ABC News and was relayed to police and state officials in California as a precautionary intelligence notice.
Official reactions
California officials publicly downplayed an imminent danger while stressing preparedness.
Governor Gavin Newsom repeatedly said there was no imminent threat and framed the notice as part of a posture of readiness for worst-case scenarios.
The White House press office pushed back on the ABC News report, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the report was based on a single, unverified tip and asserting "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did."
President Donald Trump similarly said he was not concerned when asked about possible Iran-backed attacks on U.S. soil.
Unverified, limited detail
Multiple outlets noted the FBI itself said it had "no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack," and that the bulletin was based on unverified reporting and a single tip distributed to law enforcement.
Local law enforcement described the memo as precautionary and not actionable while federal spokespeople declined to add further details publicly.
Regional conflict context
Reporting placed the FBI bulletin within the wider regional escalation between the United States, Israel and Iran.
Several outlets linked the warning to recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliatory actions, describing the memo as arising amid heightened tensions; some regional outlets described heavy casualties from those strikes.
Coverage connected the threatened drone operation to the possibility of Iranian retaliation if the U.S. conducted strikes, underlining how the memo was framed as a potential response to expanded military action.
Preparedness and outlook
State and local agencies underscored active coordination and experts urged vigilance while warning about long-term risk.
California’s Office of Emergency Services said its Homeland Security team coordinates with federal, state and local partners to share threat information, and officials described the memo as part of routine intelligence-sharing.
Analysts and retired intelligence officers told local media that drone threats are plausible and that risks could persist beyond immediate hostilities, while many outlets reiterated that there was no currently identified, actionable plot.
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