LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that his administration was aware of information regarding a potential drone attack in California in retaliation for the war in Iran.
Newsom said the state has been working collaboratively with local law enforcement agencies and emergency services to ensure vital information is transmitted to keep communities safe.
“The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is working with state, local and federal security officials to protect communities,” Newsom’s office said.
According to the governor’s office, the alert is one of numerous security updates the state receives from federal partners daily and disseminates to local law enforcement and emergency responders.
Newsom said that drone issues have always been top of mind, and because of that, work groups have been established to address those concerns
The LA Times reported that the warning was issued based on intelligence received by the U.S. Coast Guard.
When asked on Wednesday if Iran could increase retaliation to include strikes on U.S. soil, President Donald Trump said he was not worried that would be the case.
Iran has been using drone strikes against American targets throughout the Middle East since the conflict began last month.
According to the FBI, threats from the Iranian regime and its terrorist partners can reach across the globe. It said it is committed to identifying and disrupting all Iranian intelligence and military operations that threaten American citizens or our nation’s security and critical infrastructure.
The memo was first reported by ABC News.
A constantly shifting goal line
Since ordering the Iran bombardment, Trump has continually shifted his timelines and goals for the war.
Over the past few days, Trump has called for the “unconditional surrender” of Iran’s leaders, while suggesting he was already succeeded in achieving his objective of decimating Iran’s military.
At the same time, Trump’s team has sought to soothe anxious Americans that the war will not be long and drawn out even as the president has insisted he has not ruled out the option of using U.S. ground troops.
The U.S. military says it has effectively destroyed the Iranian navy and made huge strides in defanging Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones at its neighbors. Yet the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes on a typical day, remains essentially closed to business, and Iranian leaders are unbowed.
The Revolutionary Guard said Iran would not allow “a single liter of oil” through the vital waterway until the United States stopped its bombing campaign. Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official, offered a menacing message on Tuesday after Trump had threatened to attack Iran “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” if Tehran stopped oil flowing through the strait.
“The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats,” Larijani wrote on X. “Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”
Trump ally Newt Gingrich, a former Republican House speaker, said the administration should have moved on securing the strait on Day One of the conflict.
“If they can’t keep it open, this war will in fact be an American defeat before very long, because the entire world, including the American people, will react to the price of oil if the strait stay closed very long,” Gingrich said in an appearance on Fox Business.