Federal authorities have issued an urgent advisory to law enforcement agencies across California warning of a potential Iranian drone attack targeting the state, according to an internal alert circulated by the FBI.

The warning indicates that Iranian officials may have considered launching unmanned aerial vehicles from a vessel positioned off the U.S. coastline if the United States carried out military strikes against Iran. The notice surfaced as tensions continue following the U.S. strike last month that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader.

According to the alert, intelligence gathered in early February suggested that drones could potentially be launched from an unidentified ship operating near American waters.

California is home to the largest population of Iranian dissidents in the United States—estimated at roughly 500,000 people—but officials said it remains unclear whether that factor played any role in the potential targeting of the state.

The FBI advisory stated: “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 warning continued: “We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”

Authorities distributed the notice to police departments across the region, though it did not identify specific locations that could be targeted. When contacted by The New York Post, the FBI declined to provide additional comment.

The warning comes nearly two weeks after joint U.S. and Israeli strikes inside Iran dramatically escalated tensions in the region and pushed the Gulf into open conflict. Since then, Tehran has launched retaliatory attacks and issued repeated threats directed at the American mainland.

California Governor Gavin Newsom addressed the warning during a press briefing Wednesday and acknowledged the seriousness of the potential threat.

He said: “Drone issues have been top of mind. We’ve been aware of that information, we’ve been working collaboratively with the [State Operations Center].”

Newsom also noted that he had not yet spoken with President Trump about the warning.

“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?” he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump downplayed the likelihood of an Iranian attack on American territory. When reporters asked whether he was concerned about such threats, he replied simply, “No, I’m not.”

A separate threat assessment prepared by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis said Iran and allied groups “probably” pose a risk of targeted attacks against the United States, although officials believe a large-scale assault remains unlikely.

Meanwhile, the conflict continued to intensify in the Middle East on Wednesday, as at least three ships came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran vowed to carry out what it described as its most powerful strike of the war.

Three separate incidents were reported along the vital shipping corridor. One vessel, the Thai-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree, reported a blaze in its main engine room following an attack that forced the crew to abandon the vessel.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out the strike on the ship, claiming the vessel had ignored warnings to stay clear of the waterway.

The group wrote on social media that the ship “ignored the warnings” from Iran to stay away from the Strait of Hormuz.

“Any vessel that intends to pass must obtain permission from #Iran,” the IRGC said in a social media post. “American aggressors and their partners have no right of passage.”

The attacks prompted a warning from U.S. Central Command advising civilians to avoid ports along the Strait of Hormuz because Iranian military activity has turned those locations into potential targets.

“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,” the warning read.

“Although the U.S. military also cannot guarantee civilian safety in or near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes, American forces will continue taking every feasible precaution to minimize harm to civilians,” CENTCOM added.

Following the strike on the Mayuree Naree, Oman’s navy launched a rescue mission that successfully evacuated 20 of the ship’s 23 crew members. According to Thailand’s foreign ministry, efforts were still underway to locate and assist the remaining three sailors.

Iran did not explicitly claim responsibility for two other maritime attacks reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitoring service.

One of the ships was identified as the Japan-flagged container vessel One Majesty, which was struck by a projectile about 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

The third vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship Star Gwyneth, sustained damage to its hull roughly 50 miles north of Dubai, according to the maritime security firm Vanguard.

Despite the damage to both ships, maritime authorities reported that all crew members aboard those vessels were safe and accounted for.

According to UKMTO officials, the incidents mark a significant increase in maritime attacks since the war began. The agency has recorded 13 separate assaults on vessels operating near Iran since Feb. 28.

The maritime strikes occurred as Iran intensified its broader military campaign across the region, launching waves of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel, the Persian Gulf, and areas near Dubai, according to Iranian state media.

Two drones struck near Dubai International Airport—one of the busiest international travel hubs in the world—injuring four people, the Dubai Media Office reported.

Iranian state media described the wave of attacks as the “most intense operation since the beginning of the war.”

{Matzav.com}