California: California Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state has elevated its security posture following a report that US authorities warned of a potential Iranian drone threat to the West Coast.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Governor has directed the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to enhance its security measures and has been collaborating with state, local, and federal partners since the start of the conflict to share information around-the-clock. Newsom’s statement was made on the US social media company X’s platform.

His comments came after ABC News reported Wednesday that the FBI warned California law enforcement in late February about Iran’s potential retaliation for possible US strikes on the country by launching drones from a vessel positioned off the West Coast. The warning suggested that Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a drone attack against unspecified targets in the state if the US struck Iran, although authorities had “no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators.”

The date of the alert remains unclear, and an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles declined to comment to the news outlet. This warning came before the US-Israeli joint attack on Iran that began on Feb. 28. Iran has consistently maintained that it does not seek to target the US homeland, stating that 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.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began in late February, reportedly resulting in more than 1,200 deaths, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries that host US military assets. Eight US service members have been killed since the beginning of the campaign.