Reports that Iran may be using drones to attack California in retaliation for Operation Epic Fury have been refuted by the White House and many others in President Donald Trump’s administration.
The FBI has warned California state police departments that unidentified vessels off the state’s coast may launch drones against unknown targets in the Golden State, according to an ABC report on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claims that ABC neglected to mention that the warning itself referenced “unverified” reports.
“This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people. They wrote this based on one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip. The email even states the tip was based on *unverified* intelligence. Yet ABC News left out this critical fact in their story! WHY? TO BE CLEAR: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did,” Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.
The original quote from ABC’s reporting reads: “We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran. We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”
However, the actual quote began: “We recently acquired unverified information…”
Even California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom refuted the report that the state might be the target of Iranian drone attacks, telling Californians that dedicated teams are actively gathering intelligence and striving to protect the state.
The White House is also working to address a backlash from conservative commentators who are accusing the Trump administration of inconsistent messaging regarding its military operation against Iran.
Last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a detailed statement defending the president against complaints that he and his advisers have been unclear and at times contradictory in justifying the conflict.
While she did not address whether Trump is seeking regime change in Iran, as he suggested in his remarks to the nation over the weekend, she did identify the destruction of Iran’s military and its terrorist proxies as key objectives.
“Killing terrorists is good for America,” Leavitt said in a sharp X post in response to conservative podcaster and analyst Matt Walsh.
“On Saturday, President Trump released a statement laying out clear objectives to the American people for Operation Epic Fury. Let me reiterate them: Destroy the Iranian regime’s missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. Annihilate the Iranian regime’s Navy. Ensure the regime’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces. Stop them from making and using IEDs or roadside bombs, which have gravely wounded and killed thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans. Guarantee that Iran can NEVER obtain a nuclear weapon,” Leavitt declared.
“Preventing this radical regime and its terrorist leaders from threatening America and our core national security interests is a clear-eyed and necessary objective. Killing terrorists is good for America. 49 of the most senior Iranian regime leaders – including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – have already been wiped off the face of the Earth so far in the opening strikes of Operation Epic Fury,” she continued.
Leavitt added, “Finally, while Operation Midnight Hammer did obliterate Iran’s major nuclear sites, the regime was fully committed to rebuilding their nuclear program, and they REFUSED to make a deal, despite months of extensive talks and good faith efforts by President Trump’s top negotiators. Simply put, the terrorist Iranian regime would not say yes to peace.”
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has actively and intentionally facilitated the killing of Americans while chanting ‘death to America’ and funding other bloodthirsty terrorists seeking to destroy the United States and all of Western Civilization. Prior American leaders were too weak and cowardly to do anything about it. Now, President Donald J. Trump is correcting decades of cowardice and holding those responsible for the deaths of Americans accountable. Their brutal attacks and threats will finally end under President Trump. America will win – the terrorists will be defeated,” Leavitt concluded.
Walsh also highlighted the conflicting statements from Trump and his advisers regarding whether the strikes were preemptive.
Additionally, Walsh questioned why the administration cited the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program as a third objective, especially since officials declared that the country’s facilities had been “obliterated” last year.