State and local officials said Wednesday they are aware of reports that the FBI issued a warning that Iran could target California with drone strikes in retaliation for attacks made by the U.S. in Iran.
The warning reportedly came in February, before fighting in Iran began, and was included in an FBI memo sent to agencies in a federal Joint Terrorism Task Force. ABC News was the first to report on the alert.
“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 U.S. conducted strikes against Iran,” the memo said, according to ABC News.
“We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack,” the alert said.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria issued a statement Wednesday saying the city was aware of media reports of Iran allegedly exploring using drones for potential attacks in California.
“There are no known threats to San Diego,” Gloria wrote on X. “SDPD is coordinating closely with regional, state and federal partners, and we are prepared to respond to any emergency.”
Camp Pendleton officials said that they had been notified of the possible threat. They declined to say how the base responded, referring questions to the FBI. The Navy in San Diego declined to comment on the matter.
A spokesperson for the FBI’s San Diego field office said the office did not have a comment.
The Sheriff’s Office did not directly address the recent warnings when asked about them, but urged residents to be on alert for suspicious activity.
“The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office continues to follow the latest developments in Iran and the Middle East,” the agency said in a statement. “While we are not aware of any credible threats to the San Diego County region, we are monitoring the situation with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference Wednesday that when the war started, he activated the state emergency operations center.
“Drone issues have always been top of mind,” Newsom said.
He said state officials are “also working locally to make sure we transmit any information that we have received.”
Newsom said it is “all about a posture of preparedness for the worst-case scenario” and said officials have been “gaming those out for some time as it relates to, again, what the FBI has been warning of.”
A source with knowledge of the memo but not authorized to discuss it publicly said the warning was issued based on intelligence received by the U.S. Coast Guard. Law enforcement sources experienced in intelligence said such alerts are cautionary in nature.
The U.S. and Israel launched surprise attacks on Feb. 28 on Iranian cities and government and military sites. A missile hit an elementary school, killing at least 175 people, mostly children. According to The New York Times, a preliminary military investigation has determined the U.S. was at fault.
Wire services contributed to this report.