Feds warn California could be drone target tied to Iran conflict

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Updated March 11, 2026, 8:19 p.m. ET


This story was updated with new information.


Federal authorities have warned California law enforcement agencies that the state could be a potential target of a drone attack tied to the escalating war between Iran, the United States and Israel — though officials stress there is no confirmed or imminent threat.

The warning, first reported by ABC News, comes from a federal intelligence memo circulated to Joint Terrorism Task Force partners across the state in late February. It followed U.S. and Israeli strikes inside Iran earlier this year and retaliatory attacks by Tehran in the Middle East.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday, March 11, he is not concerned about Iran-backed attacks on U.S. soil, telling reporters, “No, I’m not,” when asked whether Iran could expand retaliation to the United States.

What the FBI warning says about California

According to the alert described by ABC News and confirmed by multiple law enforcement sources, federal authorities “recently acquired information” suggesting Iran had considered the idea of using unmanned aerial vehicles launched from an unidentified vessel off the U.S. coast. The memo said the hypothetical targets were “unspecified” and located in California, and emphasized that authorities had no information on timing, methods, perpetrators or specific locations.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/03/11/california-fbi-drone-warning-iran/89105503007/

[Auggie]

1. When was the last time any area of the continental U.S. was bombed in a war?

[IronLionZion]

5. WWII

Japanese sent balloon bombs to the US west coast and landed troops in Alaska. German U boats torpedoed military targets on the east coast like cape cod.

Then there's terrorism like 9/ll. I suspect MAGA is trying to stir up some racist feelings against Iranian-Americans living in California. Most of whom are completely opposed to the Ayatollah regime and came here to escape oppression.

[FSogol]

2. Just how incompetent are Hegseth and Trump?

[IronLionZion]

6. That would be interesting to measure and quantify

[oldinmtdem92]

21. not a clue

hogsbreath is a religious fanatic Christo fascist asshole .

[FSogol]

30. I wouldn't trust him to run a yard sale.

[Javaman]

3. sounds like the orange pedo and piss drunk pete are playing a very dangerous game here. nt

[OC375]

4. Rubber and Glue

I’m sure there’s plenty of nasty all sides can resort to. Tehran can become Dresden easily, with old WWII tech cranked out of Ford factories by Rosie. There’s just really no “drop the mic” threats, because there are drop the mic responses too. Cooler heads have prevailed thus far.

[Vinca]

7. If a drone hits California, it will be on orders from Trump.

[Bayard]

11. Thinking the same

Laying the groundwork for sending troops there. Maybe to, "protect," voting?

[EuterpeThelo]

15. Yep. This California girl has long thought about much of the rest of the country...

...and especially Republicans, that when it comes to California, "They hate us for our freedom."

[Bengus81]

22. My first thought too.......

[DiverDave]

23. Mine too

Just like the weasel to do a false flag operation.

[gab13by13]

8. This is propaganda BS

Watch for false flags.

[wnylib]

13. Set up warning for a false flag attack occurred to me, too.

[AnnaLee]

9. Interesting

interesting that the main target of Iran inside the US just happens to be a state that is least likely to support the Trump war and the most likely target to reward Trump for starting it. Interesting, indeed.

[twodogsbarking]

10. So they "think" that they will attack. The guy who works at the McDonalds drive-thru said so.

[JustAnotherGen]

12. Patel and Bondi?

Of course they are. It's a Regime false flag.

[Texin]

14. If it happens, it won't have been launched at the behest of Iran.

[PATRICK]

16. So firing the FBI counter intelligence experts

sinking the Iranian vessel near Sri Lanka, a voting issue that might help GOP take over the governorship, a well pre-advertised "Reichstag burning" moment set up with our defenseless population stuck out as bait, a war looking for its justification AFTER the fact... It's like FDR sneak attacking Japan then begging for Pearl Harbor.

This what you end up with when a felon who should be in jail for attacking girls gets to use the entire military to blow up a lot more girls. This country has been too permissive with elite sociopaths with not a shred of remorse much less penitence for their crimes against humanity. They get away with this and get away with more.

I guess I'll do that old guy wayback thing when a theft of the 2000 election was not only allowed, but disgustingly rolled over even by the losing party- and I noted that a laughingly small number of corrupt money guys meant the human race would be reduced by billions in the most ass way possible, and the planet laid waste with extreme prejudice. Nobody has appeared slower, more impotent, more incredulous, more tolerant of this mathematically easy way to correct things than the typical "leadership" and "civilized" institutions of global society. Controlled by insane economic creeds, infested with corrupt, incompetent dictators, out of date, out of time, out of mental acuity.

Ah, for the day when we can discuss outlawing the GOP per example in post war Germany for high treason, violation of the Constitution, crimes against humanity and the new one, planetcide! And tearing down the embarassing(even to dictators!) "legacy" of all things Trump. What a freaking silly name anyway.

[twodogsbarking]

17. There's a monster in the closet, and under your bed. The boogeyman.

[KG]

18. up next - be on the look-out for

frogmen!

[Kablooie]

19. Yeah, Patel's Feds know what they are talking about.

Look how quickly they resolved they solved the kidnapping

[Clouds Passing]

20. Beware another false flag from the terrorist trio

[KY_EnviroGuy]

24. This orange turd wants his own personal 9/11 although....

he'll never make a landing on an aircraft carrier because the landing arresting system couldn't withstand the forces.

I would find it far more believable if the article said "possible targets in Florida".......

One thing very certain is that our coastlines are extremely vulnerable to attack and always have been.

[kimbutgar]

25. This is a wet dream that they will probably perpetuate to have an excuse to cancel our elections

And have his reichstag fire (which he will be behind ) against the state he hates the most who didn’t vote for him in the last three elections. And the distance from a drone to reach California from Iran seems impossible.

[GreenWave]

26. Iran, if you are listening, Mar-a-lago is on the other coast.

[ananda]

27. I mean, to be fair ... why would we expect a good or accurate warning..

when California is also Trump's enemy?

[usonian]

28. Drones passing over California beaches will be stoned.

[Jilly_in_VA]

29. There go Shitler's "feelings" again

He just has a "feeling" about this like he had about the whole war thing, per KKKaroline, I guess. And Pistol Pete was drunk at the time.

[bluestarone]

32. Need to watch ICE real close if they show up there.

That's what i would do.

[Bobstandard]

33. Trump would see it as a two-fer

He’d get his Reichstag fire and see California hurt both at the same time. He’d love it!

[Metaphorical]

34. Not Florida?!

A battle drone has a range of about 1600 km (1000 mi) if you're not concerned about recovering it. They can be easily launched from tankers or cargo ships. If I was involved in iranian planning, I'd be targeting Mara Lago - drones would be stealthed and under the radar, and even if Trump wasn't there at the time, it sends a very clear message.

California is a false flag, though I hope that it backfires - if California DID set up counter-drone systems - it would make any attempted "defense" on the part of Trump much more difficult to achieve.

[Martin68]

35. Is Trump planning a black flag drone attack on California?