Lawmakers from both parties said Thursday they are concerned about the possibility of Iranian retaliation inside the United States, even as the White House dismissed reports of a potential threat tied to the war.
“You never take chances. You always have to be on guard,” Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, said. “The United States is not immune from those types of threats, so we have to take those very seriously.”
The comments came after reports on Wednesday that the FBI alerted California law enforcement that Iranian actors might consider launching surprise drone attacks at the West Coast.
Sign Up for NOTUS’ Free Daily Newsletter
Trending
Officials later said the alert was based on a single unverified email tip shared through a law enforcement intelligence network and did not identify specific targets, timing or a credible threat.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday sharply criticized the report and said there is no threat to the United States.
“This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people,” Leavitt wrote on social media. “TO BE CLEAR: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.”
California officials also sought to tamp down concerns. Gov. Gavin Newsom said there is no “imminent threat” to the state but that authorities remain in contact with federal security officials.
There have also been reports raising concerns that Iran could try launching retaliatory strikes on U.S. soil using sleeper cells or their proxies.
“They’ve been trying for a long time, and we’ve been very much on top of it,” President Donald Trump said Monday in response to a question on whether Iran could activate sleeper cells in the U.S.
Iran has carried out retaliatory actions in the Middle East, but officials have not identified any confirmed plots targeting the U.S. homeland, and it is unclear whether Iran has the capability to carry out such an attack.
Most lawmakers said they have not heard anything beyond public reporting that suggests a specific threat.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he does not believe the specific report but urged Americans to remain vigilant.
“I don’t think that’s credible,” Graham said. “[But] I think the American people need to have their guard up.”
Several senators said the broader risk of retaliation should not be dismissed as the conflict with Iran continues.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said he was “of course” concerned about retaliation inside the U.S.
“I think it’s fair to say it’s a higher risk now,” Kelly said
Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California said he was also worried about the possibility of retaliation. He said he talked to the local officials about the FBI memo but still wants more information from federal officials.
“I don’t have a whole lot of specifics on it,” Schiff said. “I would certainly love a briefing on it.”
Some Democrats argued that retaliation risks were a foreseeable consequence of U.S. military action against Iran.
“I’m very concerned about it,” Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said. Because Iran is far weaker than the U.S. militarily, he said the country is more likely to respond through “smaller-scale, unpredictable, asymmetric responses.”
Kaine added that Congress is going to be briefed on threats of Iranian retaliation on U.S. soil.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut pointed to Leavitt’s statement as evidence that the administration had overstated the threat posed by Iran.
“This is fantastic,” Murphy wrote on X. “Leavitt using ALL CAPS to make perfectly clear that Iran did not and does not pose any threat to America. And yet we’re at war and gas prices are through the roof.”
Author
