FBI warns Iran aspired to attack California with drones in retaliation for war: Alert

[Elderberry]

ABC By Josh Margolin, Aaron Katersky, Alex Stone and Luke Barr 3/11/2026

The FBI warned police departments in California in recent days that Iran could retaliate for American attacks by launching drones at the West Coast, according to an alert reviewed by ABC News.

“We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran 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,” according to the alert distributed at the end of February. “We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”

The warning came just as the Trump administration launched its ongoing assault against the Islamic Republic. Iran has been retaliating with drone strikes against targets throughout the Mideast.

A spokeswoman for the FBI office in LA declined to comment.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. intelligence officials have also grown concerned in recent months about the expanding use of drones by Mexican drug cartels and the chance the technology could be used to attack American forces and personnel near the Mexican border.

More: https://abcnews.com/amp/US/fbi-warns-iran-aspired-attack-california-drones-retaliation/story?id=130973820

[libertybele]

Both Newsom and the SanFran mayor are denying that there is any imminent threat.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/world/middleeast/iran-california-drones-fbi.html

https://abc7news.com/post/fbi-warns-california-iran-drone-strike-san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-gavin-newsom-ca-attack/18704228/

[mountaineer]

Stephen L. Miller
@redsteeze
Why would Iran attack its own people?
9:58 AM · Mar 12, 2026

Hen Mazzig
@HenMazzig
BREAKING: The 2026 Oscars are on high alert after the FBI warned of a potential “surprise attack” from the regime in Iran.
Law enforcement in California has been alerted to threats that could involve drones, sleeper cells or lone actors.
7:37 AM · Mar 12, 2026

[Wingnut]

Hen Mazzig
@HenMazzig
BREAKING: The 2026 Oscars are on high alert after the FBI warned of a potential “surprise attack” from the regime in Iran.
Law enforcement in California has been alerted to threats that could involve drones, sleeper cells or lone actors.
7:37 AM · Mar 12, 2026

BOOM...Well, there is a reason for me to watch the Oscars this year! 

[mountaineer]

BOOM...Well, there is a reason for me to watch the Oscars this year!

Without something exciting like a drone attack to liven things up, the ceremony will be nothing but boring "we hate TrumpwelovepalestineabolishICEblahblahblah" tedium.

[libertybele]

Without something exciting like a drone attack to liven things up, the ceremony will be nothing but boring "we hate TrumpwelovepalestineabolishICEblahblahblah" tedium.

I haven't watched any of the 'award' shows in ages.  Too boring, too political and just not worth my time.

[PeteS in CA]

Both Newsom and the SanFran mayor are denying that there is any imminent threat.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/world/middleeast/iran-california-drones-fbi.html

https://abc7news.com/post/fbi-warns-california-iran-drone-strike-san-francisco-mayor-daniel-lurie-gavin-newsom-ca-attack/18704228/

Stopped clocks.

About That ABC News Report on Iranian Drones Coming for California…

https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/03/12/about-that-abc-news-report-on-iranian-drones-coming-for-california-n4950568

On Wednesday, ABC News came out and said that the "FBI has warned police departments in California in recent days that Iran could retaliate for the United States attacks on its regime by launching drones at the West Coast."

It claimed it had actually read the alert, which it claimed said, "We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran 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 U.S. conducted strikes against Iran. We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack."
...
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came out on Thursday morning and not only confirmed that it was fake news, but went off on ABC for leaving out a critical element of the alert: the word "unverified." 

"This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people," Leavitt posted on her X account. "They wrote this based on one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip. The email even states the tip was based on *unverified* intelligence. Yet ABC News left out this critical fact in their story! WHY? TO BE CLEAR: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did."

ABC tried to make Trump look bad, unprepared, and got a well-deserved mocking smack-down.