The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned law enforcement agencies in California about a potential Iranian drone assault on the West Coast that could be carried out in retaliation for recent U.S. military operations, according to an ABC News report.
"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 alert said. "We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack," the FBI update continued, warning that the war is not over.
California on High Alert
The warning came as the Trump administration continued its ongoing military pressure on Iran. The development reflects a broader escalation across the Middle East, where the government in Tehran has increasingly relied on drones as a key method of retaliation.
Both the FBI and the White House declined to comment on the report.
Meanwhile, authorities have also noticed a surge in drone use by Mexican drug cartels in recent months. Officials say the growing use of such technology is raising fresh concerns about security along the US–Mexico border and the safety of personnel working in the area.
"An uncorroborated report suggested that unidentified Mexican cartel leaders had authorized attacks using UAS (drones) carrying explosives against US law enforcement and US military personnel along the US-Mexico border," a bulletin from September 2025 explained.
"This type of attack against US personnel or interests inside the United States would be unprecedented but exemplifies a plausible scenario, although (cartels) typically avoid actions that would result in unwanted attention or responses from US authorities."
The warning did not explain how vessels carrying drones might get close enough to the U.S. shoreline. However, officials have long been concerned that Iran could secretly position equipment or weapons in advance, effectively "forward-deploying" them in preparation for a potential military showdown with the United States or Israel.
Iran's Secret Weapons
A hacking group believed to have ties to Iran has claimed responsibility for a massive cyberattack that disrupted operations at one of the world's leading medical technology companies. Michigan-based Stryker Corporation suffered a global system outage on Wednesday that left thousands of employees unable to access internal work platforms. The company employs roughly 53,000 people worldwide.
The firm is widely known for developing advanced medical technologies designed to improve healthcare outcomes. Its products include joint replacement devices, robotic-assisted surgical systems, and equipment used in trauma care and neurotechnology.
The cyberattack was claimed by the hacking collective Handala, which released a statement on the messaging platform Telegram. The group said it wiped more than 200,000 systems and stole around 50 terabytes of data, describing the attack as retaliation for military strikes on Iran.
The group first appeared around 2022 and has since taken credit for several cyberattacks targeting Israeli and Western organizations.
In its statement, the hackers alleged that Stryker offices in 79 countries were shut down and claimed that the stolen information is "now in the hands of the free people of the world." The company itself operates in more than 100 countries globally.
"Our major cyber operation has been executed with complete success," Handala said in a statement, describing the attack as retaliation for what it called "the brutal attack on the Minab school" and for "ongoing cyber assaults against the infrastructure of the Axis of Resistance."
