Could Iran Target California? Warfare Expert Warns Attack Could Come 'Any Second'

Former US Army drone expert Brett Velicovich has warned that Iran could launch a deadly drone attack on California at any moment, citing an FBI alert to law enforcement about a potential strike from a vessel off the US coast.

The bureau's notice stated that it had 'recently acquired information' indicating that, as of early February 2026, Iran had allegedly explored carrying out a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles launched from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the US mainland, targeting unspecified sites in California if the United States were to launch strikes against Iran.

The warning emerged amid escalating US-Iran conflict, with President Donald Trump's administration conducting airstrikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 28 February 2026.

Iran Drone Threat And US Vulnerability

Velicovich, a former US Army intelligence and special operations soldier who helped run armed drone operations against ISIS and other groups before founding his own drone company, said Iran has all the ingredients it needs to turn such a plan into reality.

He argued that Iranian forces already possess 'thousands' of attack drones that can be operated from far away, fly hundreds of miles and hit targets with a level of accuracy that would once have required manned aircraft. These are not hobbyist quadcopters but what he described as 'long-range, one-way attack drones that are extremely capable and can be sent in swarms'.

'We're extremely vulnerable to drone attacks,' he said. 'We're not prepared for this.'

The FBI's reference to drones being launched from an 'unidentified vessel' off the US coastline fits uncomfortably well with that picture. Velicovich said systems could be fired from crewed ships or even from unmanned vessels, with operators sitting thousands of miles away. 'You don't even need a human anywhere near this,' he said. 'You can launch these things over Starlink from a boat 1,000 miles away.'

He cautioned that Iran's ties with Mexico and several South American countries could allow drones to be launched from locations south of the US border as well.

President Trump praised Velicovich in July as a leading drone warfare authority.

What A California Drone Strike Could Look Like

He believes Iran's 'strategy is to sow fear' by hitting where people live and work.

'It's population centers, infrastructure, ports, locations that can disrupt the economy,' he said. In practical terms, he listed sporting events, hotels, office towers, government buildings and military bases as examples of potential targets.

The former Army drone specialist, who went on to launch a drone manufacturing firm called Powerus, said any drones used in an attack on California would be fitted with explosives and could hit their targets with near-pinpoint precision, guided simply by GPS coordinates.

'Defenses against such attacks would have to be multilevel,' he said.

Counter-drone measures range from missiles designed to bring unmanned aircraft down, to electronic jammers that interfere with their control links and navigation systems, and high‑energy lasers that can blind sensors or burn out onboard electronics.

'There's no one single solution' to the problem of drone attacks, Velicovich said. 'You have, like, literally, guys with machine guns trying to shoot them down.'

'Somebody has credible intelligence that this is a real threat,' he said. 'So they have a duty to warn the American people, and they have a duty to warn local law enforcement to be on the lookout.'

California Response to FBI Iran Warning

The Los Angeles Police Department reassured residents while staying vigilant. 'We continue to coordinate with federal, state and local partners for intelligence sharing during the ongoing Middle East conflict,' LAPD said.

'At this time, there are no known or specific threats to Los Angeles. The LAPD remains prepared.'