ISTANBUL
The FBI warned California law enforcement in late February that Iran might retaliate for US strikes by launching drones from a vessel off the West Coast, ABC News reported Wednesday, citing an alert reviewed by the outlet.
The warning said Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a drone attack against unspecified targets in the state if the US struck Iran, but noted that authorities had "no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators."
The date of the alert was not clear. An FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles declined to comment to the news outlet.
The warning preceded the US-Israeli joint attack on Iran that began Feb. 28. Iran has consistently maintained that it does not seek to target the US homeland, saying it has deliberately limited its missile range to below 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) and has no plans to develop weapons capable of reaching American soil.
The escalation in the Middle East flared since attacks began in late February, reportedly killing more than 1,200 victims to date, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.
Eight US service members have been killed since the beginning of the campaign.