Oscars 2026 Security Heightened Amid FBI Alert on Possible Iran Drone Attack

The Oscars rolled out the red carpet earlier on Wednesday in Hollywood, with host Conan O'Brien and media reporters on site for the annual celebration of movies.

The FBI warned California law enforcement about the possibility of a retaliatory drone attack by Iran targeting the West Coast.

According to an alert reported by ABC News, as quoted by Variety, the FBI notified law enforcement across California in recent days that Iran could potentially retaliate for American military actions by launching drones toward the West Coast.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department officials would not comment on the memo, but in a statement to the LA Times said the department was continuing to operate at an "elevated level of readiness and is maintaining increased vigilance."

Addressing a press conference earlier Wednesday with the 98th Oscars creative team, executive producer Raj Kapoor addressed a question about attendee and guest safety.

"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," Kapoor was cited as saying by Variety.

"This show has to run like clockwork," he said. "But we want everybody who is coming to this show, who is witnessing the show, who is even a fan of the show, when they're standing outside the barricades. We want everybody to feel safe, protected, and welcome. It's our job as a producing team to make sure that that translates, and that really comes down to us with this very tight relationship, and we have a whole other team of support. It's something that we don't take lightly and we take a lot of responsibility for," added Kapoor as quoted by Variety.

According to Variety sources at the red carpet rollout, security has been increased but is not overtly visible. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no comment.

A planned red-carpet walkthrough with talent publicists and studio representatives is scheduled for Thursday.

The 98th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show will air in more than 200 territories worldwide on March 15.

US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, which resulted in the killing of its Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the country's top military commanders, and civilians. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel.

Meanwhile, the 15-member UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution condemning what it called "egregious" attacks by Iran on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan, while demanding an immediate halt to all hostilities by Tehran and warning against threats to close the Strait of Hormuz.

India joined more than 130 countries in co-sponsoring the Bahrain-led UNSC resolution which was passed 13-0. UN permanent members China and Russia abstained.

- ANI