California officials say no imminent Iran threat found after FBI alert

Gavin Newsom says drone concerns always ‘top of mind’ and it’s about ‘preparedness for worst-case scenarios’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox California leaders said on Wednesday there was no imminent threat to the state from Iran after the FBI sent a warning to local police about a potential plan to strike the west coast, which was based on “unverified information”. The FBI’s alert caused significant anxiety and confusion in California after it was made public in an ABC News report. State leaders and police officials have since emphasized there was no credible threat from Iran, and FBI and White House officials have also said there was no cause for concern. Organizers of the Oscars ceremony on Sunday in Los Angeles said they would nonetheless increase security in the wake of the report, and the LA sheriff’s department said that “out of an abundance of caution” it was increasing patrols around “prominent locations”. After the ABC News report widely spread across social media, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the FBI’s original alert was “about a single, unverified tip”. She wrote on X.com: “TO BE CLEAR: No such thr