The Trump administration’s war on Iran may be coming home — but not where you might expect. According to one FBI document, an Iranian attack on US soil wouldn’t occur near the financial hub of Manhattan or the military industrial factories of Texas, but, confusingly, on the golden state of California.
In a memo circulated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the LA Times reported, the federal government warned of a vague drone attack that could occur in California.
“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 memo reads.
According to one source who spoke to the LA Times, that intelligence originally came from the US Coast Guard, though any other details are few and far between. The papers’ source, reportedly experienced in counterterrorism, said the memo has “not been deemed credible at this time,” adding that there really isn’t any proof the Iranian military could carry out a West Coast drone attack even if it wanted to.
California governor Gavin Newsom seems to be taking the threat seriously, however, telling the LA Times that “drone issues have been top of mind and we’ve assembled some work groups specifically around those concerns.”
News of that memo comes after four small drones disappeared from Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, sparking an investigation from the Army Criminal Investigative Division. Crucially, those drones are designed for surveillance and recon, boasting video camera rather than any explosive ordinance.
More on Iran: US Military Investigating Whether AI Was Involved in Bombing Elementary School in Iran