California governor says no imminent threat despite warning about possible Iran drone attack

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there was no imminent threat to the state, despite a warning from the FBI that Iran could send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war.

Newsom said drone issues “have always been top of mind.”

“We’ve been aware of that information. … It’s all about a posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios,” the governor said Wednesday.

The FBI recently warned police departments about Iran and a possible California strike, though the alert also said it was “unverified information.”

                AP AUDIO: California governor says no imminent threat despite warning about possible Iran drone attack

California officials say they are aware of information in various news reports that Iran could be targeting the U.S. with drone strikes in retaliation for the ongoing war in Iran but many are downplaying that threat. Mayor Daniel Lurie, San Francisco.

“Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran,” the alert said.

“We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack,” the alert said.

The alert was posted on X by an FBI spokesperson after a report by ABC News. Separately, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that the message to law enforcement was a tip based on “unverified intelligence.”

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“No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did,” Leavitt said Thursday.

President Donald Trump was asked about it Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews.

“It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening. All we can do is take ’em as they come,” Trump said.

Special information bulletins from the FBI are fairly common and can cover everything from possible security issues to recommendations for officer awareness around fentanyl that were sent out when the drug began to proliferate the streets, said Brian Kohlhepp, an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Depending on international conflicts, they can be issued monthly or even a few times a month, but urgent information is communicated much differently, he said.

“Generally, bulletins are sent to raise awareness for local law enforcement on something that has hit the FBI’s radar that they feel has enough credibility that they just want to raise that awareness,” said Kohlhepp, who served on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Taskforce.

If the information required urgent or immediate action, Kohlhepp said the FBI would be more likely to arrange a conference call with the needed partners or make more urgent contact.

Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco said they were monitoring world events for any risks to their cities. Both said they’re working closely with state and federal authorities.

Associated Press reporter Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

This story has been updated to correct the name of criminal justice expert Brian Kohlhepp. A previous version incorrectly reported his first name as Jonathan.