White House Demands Retraction of ABC News Report on Iran's Alleged Drone Threat
White House's Response to ABC News Report
On Thursday, the White House requested that ABC News retract a report suggesting that Iran was contemplating drone strikes against the US West Coast in retaliation for American military actions. This request followed the publication of a story regarding an intelligence alert indicating that Iran might consider such an attack if the US conducted strikes against it. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed that the report caused unnecessary alarm and utilized unverified information. She emphasized that the article failed to clarify that the warning stemmed from a single, unconfirmed tip shared only with law enforcement.
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Leavitt stated that ABC News should retract the story immediately, accusing it of spreading false information that intentionally alarmed the public.
Details of the FBI Alert
What Did FBI Alert Say?
The controversy revolves around an alert issued by the FBI in late February, which was circulated among law enforcement agencies. This bulletin warned of a potential Iranian plan to launch drone attacks from a vessel near the US coast. According to the document reviewed by ABC News, the alert indicated that intelligence suggested Iran was considering a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles as of early February 2026. The plan involved launching drones from an unidentified vessel targeting unspecified locations in California.
The alert made it clear that investigators lacked crucial details, stating, “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.”
Furthermore, the bulletin warned that authorities had limited information regarding the threat, noting, “no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.” Leavitt criticized the report for neglecting to mention the warning about the unverified nature of the intelligence. She pointed out that the alert itself contained a disclaimer regarding its reliability, stating, “The email even states the tip was based on unverified intelligence. Yet ABC News left out this critical fact in their story! WHY?”
Leavitt reassured the public that no credible threat from Iran existed, asserting, “To be clear: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.” Following her statement, ABC News updated its report, adding an editor’s note to clarify the information in the FBI alert, which included a fuller explanation that the intelligence was unverified.
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Discussion on CNN
Meanwhile, the issue was also discussed on CNN during a segment hosted by Dana Bash. She mentioned that California officials had been briefed about the claims but did not perceive an imminent threat. Bash reported that Governor Gavin Newsom had received the briefing and that authorities had not detected any immediate danger. She stated, “California governor Gavin Newsom says he’s been alerted about the unverified claims, but that there’s no imminent threat.”
Additionally, Bash referenced comments from Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who warned that Iranian forces might target American interests if the conflict escalated. She noted, “This morning, a statement purportedly from Iran’s new supreme leader threatened to attack American interests on, quote, ‘other fronts if the war continues.’”
The discussion highlighted the ongoing tensions between the US and Tehran, with Bash acknowledging the fear that such intelligence could evoke among the public, stating, “That’s pretty scary stuff. Never mind the politics of it. Just the sort of human response here in America. I know that this is unverified, but still hearing that, especially given what we heard from inside Iran this morning.” Ben Williamson, the bureau’s assistant director for public affairs, shared a screenshot of the original bulletin online, which clearly labeled the intelligence as “unverified,” aiming to clarify that investigators had not confirmed the information.