Donald Trump has responded an FBI alert which warned that Iran could be looking to carry out a 'surprise attack' from offshore using drones to target unspecified locations in California.
The warning, issued at the end of February, said the US agency had 'acquired information' at the start of the month, suggesting Iran had 'aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles' as retaliation, if Trump went ahead with strikes against the Middle Eastern state.
"We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack," the warning continued.
Now, Trump has addressed the threats, just under two weeks after the US first began launching co-ordinated strikes against Iran, alongside Israel.
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Landing into Washington DC late last night (11 March), the US president said he has 'good news on the war front,' telling reporters Iran is 'absolutely being destroyed.'
"Iran is being absolutely decimated," he added, "that's all I can say."
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy went on to ask him: "What have you heard about this bulletin law enforcement put out about a possible Iran revenge plot in California, where there would be some kind of a boat on shore, launching drones..."
Trump responded: "It's being investigated but you have a lot of things happening and all we can do is take them as they come."
California governor Gavin Newsom said on X he is 'not aware of any imminent threats at this time', but added that he is in 'constant coordination with security and intelligence officials'.
Trump was also questioned about Iranian sleeper cell threats in the US
Since the war started, CNN reports a recent Department of Homeland Security bulletin to law enforcement agencies warned that 'two top Iranian religious leaders issued separate Farsi-language fatwas calling on Muslims worldwide to take revenge for the killing'.
A fatwa is a ruling or interpretation of Islamic law issued by a recognised legal scholar.
They added: "The fatwas, Iranian government rhetoric, and online messaging from regime supporters promoting retaliation against the US heightens the threat from violent extremists who support the Iranian regime."
The LA Times reported a global broadcast days after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei included the words “Tavajjoh! Tavajjoh!” - Persian for 'attention' - followed by a string of numbers.
The publication said it was reminiscent of encrypted broadcasts used during the Cold War, and that federal authorities warned it could be 'an operational trigger' for 'sleeper assets' in the US.
Doocy asked Trump: "And if they try to hit us back, have you been briefed about how many Iran sleeper cells there could be inside the US right now?"
Trump responded: "I have been, and a lot of people came in through Biden, with his stupid open border. But we know where most of them are, we've got our eye on all of them, I think."
When pushed on numbers, the president continued: "They came in through the open border policies of sleepy Joe Biden, one of the worst, the worst president in the history of our country, and we've got our eyes on all of them."
Fact check: Why is Iran attacking Dubai?
Since the start of Iran's conflict with the US and Israel, more than 1,700 missiles and drones have been fired towards the UAE, according to the country’s defense ministry, while it's suggested that Iran might have launched more strikes at the UAE than Israel.
While the region claims more than 90 percent of the air strikes have been intercepted by its defense systems, drones have hit near Dubai's International Airport, popular tourist areas and the US consulate in Dubai.
In total, at least six people have been killed and 126 injured in the UAE since the conflict began on February 28, while tens of thousands of residents and tourists have fled the area.
Jessie Moritz, a lecturer at the ANU's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, told ABC News that Iran is trying to disrupt global commerce by targeting the UAE, with Dubai alone generating about $30bn (£22bn) in tourism every year.
"The disruption to international commerce, supply routes and travel is deliberate," she said. "By striking at Dubai, Iran is extracting a global cost for threatening its regime."
Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, echoed similar thoughts in an interview with CNN: “Dubai is really the epicentre of globalisation.
“Iranian leaders view Dubai as the foundation of the Western global economic system… it rattles the world economy, not just Dubai and the UAE.”
Topics: US News, Donald Trump
Emma Rosemurgey