The FBI sent an urgent warning to police departments across California revealing that Iran allegedly planned a surprise drone attack launched from an unidentified vessel off the American coast, targeting the state in retaliation for US strikes against Tehran.
The Bureau's alert, distributed to law enforcement agencies across the region, laid out the threat in stark terms:
"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."
The US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran nearly two weeks ago. That means the contingency Tehran was planning for has already occurred, and the question of whether the threat remains active hangs over every word in the memo.
The FBI acknowledged the limits of its own intelligence, stating it had "no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack." The Bureau declined to comment when pressed by The Post. A separate threat assessment from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis concluded that Iran and its proxies "probably" pose a threat of targeted attacks on the US.
California is home to the highest concentration of Iranian dissidents in the United States, with up to 500,000 residing in the state. Whether that population makes California a specific target remains unclear from the intelligence, but the FBI saw enough to push the alert to local law enforcement without waiting for answers to fill the gaps.
The Post reports that Governor Gavin Newsom addressed the alert during a press conference on Wednesday, acknowledging the threat was "critical" while offering the kind of response that has become his signature: aware of the problem, short on solutions, eager to redirect blame.
"Drone issues have been top of mind. We've been aware of that information, we've been working collaboratively with the [State Operations Center]."
Then came the pivot. Rather than detailing what California is doing to protect its residents from a drone strike launched off its own coastline, Newsom aimed his remarks at the White House:
"I haven't talked to the president directly about this and I wish the president would talk to the American people about what this is all about, what's the end game?"
There it is. A sitting governor, informed of a foreign adversary's plot to strike his state with unmanned aerial vehicles, and his instinct is to hold a press conference demanding someone else explain the situation. Newsom has the State Operations Center, the California National Guard, and the largest state budget in the nation. The FBI handed him specific intelligence. His response was to ask the president for a public briefing.
President Trump, asked by reporters earlier Wednesday whether he was worried about Iranian attacks on American soil, answered simply: "No, I'm not."
Whatever one makes of the California intelligence, Iran's willingness to use force is not a matter of speculation. It is happening in real time.
On Wednesday, at least three vessels were attacked along the Strait of Hormuz. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations recorded 13 attacks since Feb. 28. Three separate strikes hit shipping in a single day. One vessel was struck 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. Another, the Star Gwyneth, was hit 50 miles north of Dubai. Oman's navy deployed to rescue 20 of the ship's 23 crew members, with the Thai foreign ministry confirming efforts to save the remaining three.
At least two drones hit near Dubai International Airport, wounding four people according to the Dubai Media Office. One of the busiest airports on Earth, serving tens of millions of travelers, took drone fire.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps posted the quiet part out loud on social media:
"Any vessel that intends to pass must obtain permission from #Iran."
"American aggressors and their partners have no right of passage."
Iran is asserting sovereign control over international waters. It is attacking commercial shipping. It is striking near civilian airports in allied nations. And according to the FBI, it aspired to launch drones at California.
US Central Command issued its own warning on Wednesday, urging civilians in Iran to avoid all port facilities where Iranian naval forces operate. The message was direct:
"CENTCOM urges civilians in Iran to immediately avoid all port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating. Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel, and commercial vessel crews should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment."
CENTCOM added that while the US military "cannot guarantee civilian safety in or near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes," American forces would "continue taking every feasible precaution to minimize harm to civilians."
That language carries weight. It is the kind of statement military commands issue before operations intensify, not after they wind down. The US wiped out Iran's Supreme Leader last month. Strikes were carried out nearly two weeks ago. And now CENTCOM is telling Iranian civilians to clear out of naval facilities.
The FBI memo reveals something more fundamental than a single threat. It reveals a posture. Iran, even under unprecedented military pressure, was actively plotting a strike on American soil. Not through a proxy. Not through a cyberattack. Through drones launched from a vessel positioned off the California coast.
This is the regime that the previous administration spent years trying to coax back to the negotiating table with sanctions relief and diplomatic patience. The regime that was handed billions in unfrozen assets. The regime that American foreign policy elites assured the public could be managed through engagement.
Engagement produced a plan to fly drones into California.
Newsom wants to know the "end game." Here is a better question: What was California's plan to stop a drone swarm launched from international waters before the FBI had to tell them it was coming? What coastal surveillance exists? What counter-drone capabilities has the state invested in while it poured billions into a high-speed rail project that still connects nothing to nowhere?
The federal government identified the threat. The military is applying pressure abroad. CENTCOM is clearing the battlefield. The question isn't what the president's end game is. The question is what governors like Newsom are doing with the intelligence they've been given, besides scheduling press conferences.
Thirteen attacks on shipping since Feb. 28. Drones near Dubai's airport. Four people wounded. A plot against California. Tehran isn't negotiating. It's fighting.
The only people still confused about Iran's intentions are the ones who never wanted to believe them.
