Washington: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned police departments in California about the possibility of Iran retaliating to recent American military strikes by launching drone attacks targeting the US West Coast.

According to an alert cited by ABC News, authorities were informed about intelligence indicating that Iran could attempt a surprise strike using unmanned aerial vehicles launched from a vessel off the US coastline.

“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," ABC News quoted the alert that was distributed at the end of February.

“We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack," it added.

On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to the development, saying there is no “imminent threat” to the state. President Donald Trump said later Wednesday that the government is investigating the unverified claim.

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Although there has been no official confirmation of such a plan, US intelligence officials have reportedly expressed growing concern in recent months about the expanding use of drones by Mexican drug cartels and the possibility that similar technology could be used to target American forces and personnel near the border with Mexico.

How far is Iran from California?

Iran is approximately 7,500 miles (about 12,000 km) away from California in a straight line across the globe.

The warning comes amid escalating tensions after the United States and Israel launched a joint large-scale military offensive against Iran on February 28, an operation that reportedly killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a separate development, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would respond forcefully if the US or Israel attacked Iranian islands in the Gulf.

"Any aggression against soil of Iranian islands will shatter all restraint. We will abandon all restraint and make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders," said Ghalibaf in a post on X.

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It was not immediately clear which islands he was referring to, though a recent report by Axios cited US officials as saying that capturing Kharg Island was among the options being discussed as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies.

Meanwhile, the conflict has triggered a surge in energy prices, with Iranian strikes on shipping lanes and oil infrastructure pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel on Thursday.

Iran reportedly struck a container ship off the coast of Dubai, caused a blaze near Bahrain International Airport, targeted a major Saudi oil field with a drone, and forced Iraq to halt operations at all its oil terminals after attacks on the port of Basra in the Persian Gulf.

Tehran also defied a resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council a day earlier demanding an end to attacks on Gulf states, with fresh strikes reported in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.