The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned police departments in California that Iran could retaliate for US attacks by launching drones at the West Coast, ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing an alert it reviewed.
“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,” the alert shared by ABC News said.
"We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack,” the message, which was reportedly shared during February, said.
The FBI and the White House both decline to respond immediately to a request for comment from Reuters and ABC News.
The report also mentioned that US officials are growing worried about the use of drones by Mexican cartels on the southern border, and the possibility that they could be used to strike US citizens and forces alongside the border.
Trump 'not worried about potential attack on US soil'
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.
The report about the potential use of drones to strike the US comes along with other reports that point to possible terror attacks performed by "lone wolf" style of terrorists.
Experts have also 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. Police found a flag of the Islamic Republic and photographs of Iranian regime leaders inside his apartment.
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.
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.
Mathilda Heller and Tobias Holcman contributed to this report.