FBI issues serious warning to California over ‘surprise Iran attack’ – The Hook news

That wider context helps explain why California, and especially its ports and coastline, would be treated seriously in any warning tied to maritime drone launches. California is home to major naval, commercial and population centres, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Oakland and San Francisco. Bloomberg reported that officials at the Port of Los Angeles and San Francisco City Hall had been briefed and were maintaining vigilance despite saying there were no immediate threats. Even absent a confirmed attack plan, the idea of small drones launched from a civilian or disguised vessel presents a challenge for security agencies because it blurs the line between conventional military retaliation and covert asymmetric action.

The political backdrop is equally significant. Trump has repeatedly insisted that US action against Iran was necessary to stop Tehran obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Britain has sought to distance itself from direct participation in the initial strikes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on 28 February that “British planes are in the sky today as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests, and our allies”, but his government also emphasised that British involvement was defensive. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was “simply not true” that the UK was being dragged into another Iraq-style conflict, according to comments reported after an Iranian drone strike on an RAF base in Cyprus.