Iran plots targeting American personnel have reached advanced stages, U.S. warns

Iran has escalated plans to strike American personnel abroad, with several assassination conspiracies reaching mature phases across the Middle East and elsewhere, according to a recent assessment by the top U.S. intelligence official.

In an unclassified memorandum directed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton cautioned that Iranian operations against American nationals have expanded markedly. Clayton noted that lethal plotting by Tehran has progressed to advanced levels within the region and in additional unspecified nations, as reported by CBS News, which reviewed the document following an initial report by Axios.

The alert arrives during a broader reassessment of American security abroad. The State Department has enacted precautionary measures across diplomatic missions in the Middle East, including directing non-essential embassy staff and relatives to exit Saudi Arabia. Multiple other regional diplomatic posts have moved to restricted operations, a designation enabling facilities to lower headcount without mandating a full evacuation.

Officials explained that these staffing reductions reflect evaluations of emerging hazards, specifically highlighting potential Iranian terror schemes and strikes carried out by Tehran-backed Houthi forces based in Yemen. Concurrently, the American armed forces have been discreetly scaling down their presence at regional installations in reaction to persistent dangers.

Security worries have intensified after a series of Houthi missile and drone launches targeting infrastructure and airports in Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month, a strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport claimed the lives of at least a dozen people, including an American citizen, and left hundreds wounded. Following that incident, diplomatic outposts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and other nearby countries cautioned American citizens to remain vigilant.

The intelligence memo did not name particular individuals or specific territories where the alleged conspiracies are developing, nor did it state whether any offensive was directly imminent. Clayton mentioned that intelligence agencies are currently working to declassify and downgrade pertinent findings so the details can be disseminated across the State Department. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was also copied on the correspondence.

The developments unfold as the Trump administration considers whether to resume military operations against Tehran. While both nations have avoided direct clashes in recent weeks, President Donald Trump remarked at a Florida rally that further strikes remain possible if Tehran refuses an agreement, referencing previous actions carried out earlier in the year. Meanwhile, Iran continues to claim responsibility for seizing and targeting oil tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz.