The Federal Bureau of Investigation says Iran may have planned to target sites in the U.S. state of California using drones launched from an unidentified vessel near American shores. According to a report by ABC News, the claim is based on a security alert issued by the FBI to law enforcement agencies in California. The warning states that the agency “recently obtained information indicating that since early February 2026, Iran apparently intended—if the United States attacked Iran—to carry out a surprise drone strike from an unidentified ship off the U.S. coast, particularly against unspecified targets in California.” The FBI added that it currently has no further details regarding the exact timing, method of execution, specific targets, or the potential perpetrators of the suspected attack. ABC News reported that the alert was issued at a time when the United States and Israel have begun strikes against Iran. A spokesperson for the FBI in Los Angeles declined to comment, while the White House did not immediately respond to media requests for clarification. Earlier, Donald Trump had also said that Iran was planning attacks on Israel and U.S. bases in the region, adding that Washington had taken “preventive action.” Following the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran has targeted several American bases in the region. Iranian officials say these attacks are carried out within the framework of “legitimate self-defense.”
