Iranian drone strikes against California? Trump says he’s ‘not worried’ after reported FBI warnings

U.S. officials said there was no imminent threat of Iranian attacks on U.S. soil, after ABC News cited an FBI warning from earlier this year that the regime “aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast.”

President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday he “wasn’t worried” about Iranian attacks on the U.S. home front, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom stressed there is no “imminent threat.”

Addressing this issue, Trump noted that “We took out just about all of their mine ships in one night... just about all of their navy is gone.” This included the Iranian ship Shahid Bagheri, which the regime described as a drone carrier.

Trump said later that the scenario described in the FBI memo is being investigated, but “you have a lot of things happening, and all we could do is take them as they come.” He also affirmed that he had been briefed on the possibility of Iranian sleeper cells in the U.S.

.@POTUS on the Iranian regime: "They've inflicted 47 years worth of damage to the world — and now they're paying a big price." pic.twitter.com/6imbz0MvrW

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 11, 2026

Newsom, meanwhile, said on social media that he is “in constant coordination with security and intelligence officials” over potential threats to California, “including those tied to the conflict in the Middle East.”

“While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state,” he emphasized.

CNN cited a law enforcement source saying that federal and state security officials have deemed the information to be “aspirational” in nature. The FBI memo, first reported by ABC News, noted that the Iranian regime had “aspired” to launching a drone attack as of early February 2026.

Since then, the U.S. and Israeli Air Forces have decimated the regime’s navy and air force, significantly decreasing its ability to launch a strike against the U.S. homeland.

Der Stolz der iranischen Marine ist untergegangen

Die USA haben den Drohnen-Flugzeugträger Shahid Bahman Bagheri zerstört.

Das nach dem getöteten Kommandeur Bahman Bagheri benannte Schiff wurde 2025 in Dienst gestellt. pic.twitter.com/1avxEkNdme

— Siegfried 💙💛💩Brandenburg gegen Nazis💩 (@Siegfri41835106) March 6, 2026

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

John Cohen, contributor on ABC and former head of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security, said there was also concern about the potential that the Iranian regime could use its connections to drug cartels in Mexico to launch an attack.

“We know Iran has an extensive presence in Mexico and South America, they have relationships, they have the drones and now they have the incentive to conduct attacks,” Cohen said.

“The FBI is smart for putting this warning out so that state and locals can be better able to prepare and respond to these types of threats. Information like this is critically important for law enforcement.”

The Department of Homeland Security also recently warned law enforcement agencies of a heightened threat environment after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“Two top Iranian religious leaders issued separate Farsi-language fatwas calling on Muslims worldwide to take revenge for the killing”, a DHS bulletin read.

“The fatwas, Iranian government rhetoric, and online messaging from regime supporters promoting retaliation against the US heighten the threat from violent extremists who support the Iranian regime.”