Reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of a potential Iranian drone attack on California prompted heightened security at high profile events in Los Angeles, though federal and state officials said there was no sign of an imminent threat. Experts say that while Iran may aspire to strike the United States homeland, it is unlikely to have the capability to carry out a military drone attack directly.

Analysts note that Iran’s military drones do not have the range to reach the United States from Iranian territory, and launching them from a vessel near the coast would be complex and risky. Such an operation would likely be detected by United States intelligence, satellite surveillance, and border defenses. Although Iran has used drones extensively in conflicts in the Middle East, projecting that capability across the Pacific Ocean would pose significant logistical challenges.

However, experts warn that a different kind of threat may be more realistic. Commercially available drones could be used in a domestic terrorist attack by sympathizers or sleeper cells, as these devices are inexpensive, easy to obtain, and relatively simple to modify. This scenario, they argue, would require far less coordination and technical sophistication than deploying military grade drones from abroad.