The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a chilling security alert to police departments and law enforcement agencies across California, warning that Iran allegedly plotted to launch a surprise drone attack on the United States West Coast from an unidentified vessel positioned off the American coastline — a retaliatory strike that was being planned as far back as early February 2026, before the US and Israeli strikes on Iran even began.
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. [PBS](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/read-netanyahus-full-statement-on-iran-attacks?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=ebe2357b-525a-4637-800f-29053222e649)
According to an FBI bulletin reviewed by ABC News, intelligence acquired in early February 2026 suggests Iran "allegedly aspired" to conduct a surprise drone attack. The plot reportedly involved launching drones from an unidentified vessel positioned off the U.S. coast, specifically targeting unspecified locations in California. The warning was distributed to local law enforcement agencies at the end of February. It was framed as a retaliatory measure by Tehran in the event of U.S. military action — an event that manifested on February 28 when the US and Israel launched major airstrikes on Iran. [tv7israelnews](https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/563/?episode-id=OUeheHbpukg&claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=9adfa972-828c-46b5-b080-f2768175380d)
The story broke publicly on Wednesday March 11, 2026 and was confirmed by ABC News, Reuters, The Washington Times, Rolling Stone, The Hill, Fox LA, KTLA, i24News, and ABC10 Sacramento, all citing the FBI bulletin distributed to California law enforcement agencies at the end of February 2026.
What The FBI Alert Says — Word For Word
The language of the FBI bulletin is both alarming and carefully qualified — making clear that the threat was real enough to warn law enforcement, but not confirmed enough to trigger a public emergency.
The alert states: "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 States Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran. We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack." [PBS](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/read-netanyahus-full-statement-on-iran-attacks?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=e41b3cb0-798f-4376-aa9f-75d91fdcb5b9)
The critical word in the alert is "aspired" — not "planned," not "executed," not "confirmed." The intelligence indicates that Iran wanted to do this and was thinking about how to do it. Whether Iran has the actual capability to successfully launch drones from a vessel in the Pacific Ocean and strike California targets is a separate — and deeply contested — question among intelligence analysts.
Law enforcement sources have described the intelligence as "uncorroborated" and "cautionary," noting there is currently no evidence that Iran has the capability or active plans to successfully execute such an operation from a vessel in the Pacific. [tv7israelnews](https://www.tv7israelnews.com/vod/series/563/?episode-id=OUeheHbpukg&claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=69cba888-b635-4b55-ace5-7d91935e0116)
Where Did The Intelligence Come From?
One of the most intriguing details of the FBI alert is the source of the intelligence that triggered it — and it is not the CIA or the NSA.
A source with knowledge of the memo said the warning originated from intelligence received by the U.S. Coast Guard. [The Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahu-says-increasing-signs-that-khamenei-is-no-more/?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=308db488-b328-4f6f-9cf1-bff94cd78614) The fact that the Coast Guard — rather than a traditional intelligence agency — was the source of the information suggests the threat may have originated from maritime surveillance, potentially the observation of suspicious vessels or vessel movements in or near Pacific waters.
The FBI's alert did not specify how or when a vessel carrying attack drones could approach the American coastline close enough to launch a strike — leaving open the question of just how far offshore such a vessel would need to be, and how Iran could have positioned it there without detection by the US Navy, which maintains an extensive surveillance presence in the Pacific.
Trump — 'I Am Not Worried'
When reporters asked President Donald Trump about the FBI warning on Wednesday, his response was characteristically dismissive — but also revealing.
US President Donald Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Wednesday that he was not worried about Iran-backed attacks on US soil. [Middle East Eye](https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/netanyahu-tells-iranian-people-remove-ayatollah-regime?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=abcfdb69-2e8e-46f6-ac0e-c4f6486e9ee1)
Trump said: "They've got drones all over the place, now we're knocking out the drone plants." The comment suggested the President believes the ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure — specifically drone manufacturing facilities — are eliminating the threat before it can materialise. [CIE](https://israeled.org/netanyahu-announces-strike-on-iran-february-2026/?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=5723af95-afc3-4a38-b5ef-3e721255b7d7)
But even as Trump displayed public confidence, American law enforcement agencies were warning local governments to stay on alert. [CIE](https://israeled.org/netanyahu-announces-strike-on-iran-february-2026/?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=84f5ede2-ca6b-440f-b8b7-14dc2ebdeb48) The gap between the President's public dismissiveness and the FBI's formal warning to California law enforcement raised eyebrows among security analysts and Democratic politicians on the West Coast.
California Governor Newsom — 'We Have Been Aware'
California Governor Gavin Newsom — who oversees the most populous state in the United States and a state that would be on the front line of any Iranian drone strike on the West Coast — confirmed that his administration had been aware of the threat for some time.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday at a press conference that his office had been aware of the threat and had already been sharing relevant information with local partners. "We are aware of that information, and we transferred that information in real time to our local partners," Newsom said. "Drone issues have always been top of mind, and we've assembled some work groups specifically around those concerns." [The Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahu-says-increasing-signs-that-khamenei-is-no-more/?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=289cdcd4-fdb2-4f12-90df-20a69cead0b4)
Governor Newsom's office said the bulletin is one of numerous security updates the state gets from federal partners daily and sends to local law enforcement and emergency responders. They added that Cal OES' Homeland Security Division has elevated its security posture since the start of the conflict in the Middle East. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/as-bombing-continues-israels-war-aim-in-iran-becomes-clear-regime-change?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=5e1f4e79-6f05-4128-8edb-e07bcf6e565c)
Trump Blocked A Broader National Security Bulletin
One of the most explosive details buried in Wednesday's reporting is the revelation that President Trump himself intervened to block a broader, more comprehensive security warning from being released to state and local authorities.
President Donald Trump had previously blocked the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center from releasing a five-page security bulletin alerting state and local authorities to heightened threats amid the United States and Israel's war on Iran. The joint statement was spiked after the Department of Homeland Security shared it with the White House. [CIE](https://israeled.org/netanyahu-announces-strike-on-iran-february-2026/?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=e4c37951-8519-47bf-9132-935c88d24a8c)
The decision to block that broader bulletin — while allowing the more limited California-specific FBI warning to be distributed — raises serious questions about whether the American public and local governments are receiving the full picture of the threat environment created by the US-Iran war.
The Sleeper Cell Fear — And Two Real-World Incidents
The drone plot warning did not arrive in isolation. It came alongside growing concern inside US intelligence circles about the possible activation of Iranian sleeper cells — networks of Iranian-connected operatives already living inside the United States and other Western countries — in response to the war.
Experts have warned of the potential activation of "Iranian sleeper cells" across the West amid the ongoing US-Israel military action. The concerns were raised after two Iran-related violent incidents took place during the first week of the war — one in Austin, Texas, and another in Toronto. In Austin, a 53-year-old Senegalese citizen opened fire on a bar, killing two and wounding 14. During the attack, the suspect was also wearing clothing bearing Islamic references, including a sweatshirt reading "Property of Allah" and a shirt featuring the flag emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran. [Middle East Eye](https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/netanyahu-tells-iranian-people-remove-ayatollah-regime?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=4dcaef10-b5d8-4dc4-a635-cc5875a8ca7a)
Then, just hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was pronounced dead, the Toronto boxing gym of Iranian-Canadian dissident activist and cruiserweight champion Salar Gholami was struck by gunfire. [Middle East Eye](https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/netanyahu-tells-iranian-people-remove-ayatollah-regime?claude-citation-69872daf-910b-4864-8d96-7c0e69fb25bc=a359cb32-68b7-4d25-8327-4c79213083e5) Gholami — a vocal critic of the Iranian regime — escaped unharmed, but the attack was widely interpreted as a targeted intimidation message from pro-regime elements operating in Canada.
Iran's 'Missile City' — The Propaganda Display
Adding another layer of menace to the drone threat warning, Iran's state-affiliated Fars News Agency on Wednesday released dramatic footage touring what it described as an extensive underground "missile city" — a massive subterranean complex stocked with rows of drones and missiles ready for launch, with walls lined with Iranian flags.
The footage was a clear and deliberate propaganda effort — Iran signalling to the United States, Israel, and the world that despite weeks of devastating strikes on its military infrastructure, it still retains enormous destructive capacity. The "missile city" footage appeared to show Shahed-series drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles stored in hardened underground facilities designed to survive even direct aerial bombardment.
Whether the footage reflected Iran's actual current stockpile — or was partly staged for maximum psychological effect — could not be independently verified. But its release on the same day as the FBI California warning created a powerful and deeply unsettling combination of messages for American and global audiences.
Wetin This Drone Threat Mean for Nigeria and the World
For Nigerians wey dey follow this war, the FBI California drone warning dey add another terrifying dimension to a conflict wey don already spread far beyond the Middle East.
The war wey start for Iran and Israel don already reach the streets of London where the UK government ban protest. E don reach the Strait of Hormuz where Iran dey attack ships. E don reach Nigeria through rising petrol prices. And now — according to the FBI — it may have been heading for the coastline of California.
When a war dey threaten American soil directly, the response from Washington go be more aggressive, more desperate, and more unpredictable. That na the kind of escalation wey go push oil prices back up, destabilise global financial markets, and increase the danger for every country caught in the middle — including Nigeria.
This war don reach everywhere. And nobody — not even Americans on the West Coast — fit say dem dey fully safe from its consequences. 🌍🇳🇬⚠️
Source: This report is based on statements confirmed and reported by ABC News, Reuters, The Washington Times, Rolling Stone, The Hill, Fox LA, KTLA, i24News, and ABC10 Sacramento, citing the FBI bulletin distributed to California law enforcement agencies at the end of February 2026, first reported publicly on March 11, 2026.