The FBI recently alerted California law enforcement agencies to a potential drone attack by Iran targeting the West Coast as retaliation for U.S. strikes.

A late February alert, obtained by ABC News, detailed the threat as authorities considered whether a conflict thousands of miles away could pose a risk to the U.S. mainland.

The notice stated that, according to information obtained by authorities, as of early February 2026, Iran was planning a surprise attack on unspecified targets in California using drones launched from an unidentified vessel, should the U.S. strike Iran.

The alert, distributed in late February, said authorities had not obtained further details regarding the timing, method, targets, or perpetrators.

This left California law enforcement agencies with a warning that was alarming in its implications but lacked actionable detail, suggesting a possibility of a retaliatory scenario but offering no insight into when it might occur, who would carry it out, or how the projectiles might reach the coast.

The warning comes amid broader domestic threats already acknowledged by federal authorities.

A Department of Homeland Security National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin, released on June 22, 2025, stated that the conflict with Iran had created an "elevated threat environment" within the United States.

A 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also stated that Iran maintained the capacity to attack a variety of targets, including current and former U.S. officials, using its proxy forces and affiliates, and that it could employ asymmetrical methods that would make detection and attribution difficult.

A separate DHS intelligence assessment obtained by Reuters recently stated that while the probability of a large-scale physical attack in the U.S. was low, Iran and its proxies could pose a continued threat to domestic targets and could escalate retaliatory measures in certain scenarios.

While that assessment does not confirm the specifics of the California drone warning, it suggests that the FBI's alert is part of broader federal concerns about Iranian retaliation.

For now, the California alert amounts to more of an outline than a confirmed plan.

There have been no publicly available FBI communiques, court filings, or other key public documents that independently confirm the warning's contents. While Reuters and the Los Angeles Times have since reported separately on the alert, neither outlet has produced key public documents to back it up.

Nevertheless, the episode highlights the need for local law enforcement agencies to consider drone threats from maritime approaches, not just borders or critical infrastructure, at a time of heightened tensions with Iran, according to Newsmax.

By NNP=Sung Ku Hong, Chief Reporter / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com