An intelligence memo sent to Marco Rubio warns that lethal operations against U.S. personnel have reached advanced stages.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned Friday that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target American personnel overseas, with lethal plots reaching advanced stages in the Middle East and other nations.
Intelligence memo details plots
The warning appeared in an unclassified memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by CBS News. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the document, and Axios was first to report its contents. American officials later confirmed the authenticity of the memo.
“The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries,” Clayton wrote.
The memo does not name specific individuals targeted or single out the countries where the alleged operations are taking place. It also doesn’t say whether any attacks are imminent. Clayton explained that American intelligence agencies are working to downgrade the classification of sensitive information obtained through various channels so it can be shared more widely with State Department personnel.
Diplomatic departures and base adjustments
The intelligence alert comes as the U.S. government changes its operational posture at diplomatic missions and military sites throughout the Middle East. Earlier in the week, the State Department issued an ordered departure instructing non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, as Fox News reported. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said claims of a broader regional shutdown were inaccurate and clarified that the departure mandate applied only to Saudi Arabia.
Other American embassies across the region have shifted to restricted operations status. That designation gives posts the authority to trim staffing numbers without ordering a formal, mandatory departure. A U.S. official said government teams continually assess incoming security reports, noting that both Iranian terror plots against officials and Houthi strikes guide decisions on restricted operations staffing. At the same time, a U.S. official and a senior military official said the military has been quietly reducing its footprint at installations in the Middle East because of the persistent threats.
Houthi strikes and Gulf alerts
The security changes follow intensifying strikes by Iran-backed Houthi fighters based in Yemen. Houthi militants have stepped up drone and missile assaults against Saudi Arabia, aiming at oil facilities and transport hubs. Earlier this month, a strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed at least 12 people, including an American citizen, and injured hundreds of others.
Last weekend, American embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries advised U.S. citizens to exercise caution because of the Houthi attacks. The State Department had also renewed travel warnings for Americans traveling in or through the region in late September. In addition to Houthi strikes, Iran has continued to claim responsibility for attacks against commercial oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington weighs military options
The intelligence memo arrived while the Trump administration evaluates whether to launch fresh military strikes against Iran. Direct attacks between Washington and Tehran have paused in recent weeks, but President Donald Trump has not ruled out restarting hostilities after the upcoming midterm elections if Tehran does not agree to a deal.
Trump addressed the confrontation Friday during a campaign rally in Florida, pointing back to the military strikes the U.S. initiated against Iran earlier in the year.
“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” the president said, referring to the military operation initiated in February.
The prospect of extended conflict remains high. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said the war with Iran could last another year.
