Iran Threat Clouds Oscars: Drones, Sleeper Agents And A Mile-Wide Security Perimeter

HOLLYWOOD, CA — As the U.S. continues its war against Iran, security has been beefed up ahead of the Oscars ceremony on Sunday amid reports about Iran's desire to launch a drone strike in California and the possible activation of sleeper agents on American soil.

The FBI recently warned local law enforcement agencies that Iran aimed to "conduct a surprise attack" using drones against unspecified targets in California, according to a Wednesday report from ABC News.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday said there was no imminent threat to the state. But heightened tensions and the high-profile nature of the Oscars has brought increased concern about safety at the event.

The Oscars "is something that would fall within their group of targets," global risk intelligence expert Hal Kempfer told KTLA. "It is believed that they have target folders already ready to go should that day ever come when they get operationalized. The fear is that this day has come."

The Atlantic this week reported on shortwave radio broadcasts in Farsi, widely spoken in Iran, consisting of a string of numbers. The transmission recalls the way spies received orders during the Cold War — through so-called number stations whose numerals corresponded to words that would be decoded by the agents.

Federal authorities warned local law enforcement that message, or a similar one they have detected, could contain "an operational trigger" for "sleeper assets" potentially in the U.S, the Los Angeles Times reported.

President Donald Trump was asked about whether Iran has sleeper cells in the U.S. at a news conference Monday.

"They’ve been trying for a long time, and we’ve been very much on top of it,” Trump said. “We’re watching every single one of them, yeah. We know a lot about them.”

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell told the Times "we are at a heightened level of awareness."

"Lone wolves in our experience have been our concern," he said. The chief said Southern California's 700,000 residents of Iranian descent — the largest population outside Iran — brings heightened awareness, the Times reported.

Setup is well underway for the Oscars on Hollywood Boulevard outside the Dolby Theater. Security is always tight at the Oscars, with local, regional and federal law enforcement involved. But a source involved in the event told Deadline "we've cranked it up to 11."

"There is a lot in place and a lot you'll never see," another source said.

Variety reported security has been increased, but the additional safety measures are not overtly visible.

Beefed up security for the Academy Awards will include vehicle screenings, the deployment of bomb-sniffing dogs, pre-deployed SWAT teams, undercover local officers and federal agents and snipers on rooftops, according to KTLA, which cited law enforcement officials.

A one-mile security perimeter will be in place around the theater.

"The FBI routinely works with our local law enforcement partners responsible for security at special events in and around Los Angeles, including the Academy Awards, in order to share intelligence and provide resources where needed," Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman at the bureau's Los Angeles field office, said in a statement.

At a Wednesday news conference, Oscars executive producer Raj Kapoor addressed a question about safety, Variety reported.

“I feel like on this show, we have one of the best teams in the business in all aspects, and that comes down to our security team,” Kapoor said. “So, of course, every year we monitor what’s going on in the world. We have the support of the FBI and the LAPD, and it’s a close collaboration.”

An LAPD spokesperson declined to comment on the FBI's alert and the department's preparations for the Oscars. In the past, international conflict has triggered increased security at the Oscars. In 2024, pro-Palestinian protests in Hollywood prompted the LAPD to go on tactical alert in the hour before the Academy Awards.

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City News Service contributed to this report.