White House Calls for Retraction of ABC Report Over Iran Drone Threat
The White House has called on ABC News to retract a report that claimed Iran sought to launch drone attacks on California, stating the story was based on a single, unverified tip and exaggerated the threat. The report referenced a leaked FBI bulletin that outlined a hypothetical Iranian retaliation scenario using drones from a ship off the West Coast. White House officials and California authorities maintain there is no credible or imminent threat to the state. The incident follows heightened tensions after recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting Middle Eastern infrastructure, showing the rising significance of inexpensive, one-way attack drones like the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136. The proliferation of military drones, fueled partly by cryptocurrencies, is disrupting global security and raising public concern. The military drone market is projected to reach $66 billion by 2035. ABC News updated its story, but the situation demonstrates how emerging military technologies can quickly intensify public anxiety.
