US intelligence agencies have warned that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel, with plots to kill US citizens reaching “advanced stages”
in parts of the Middle East and other countries, according to a memo obtained by Axios.
The warning comes as Washington reduces staffing at several diplomatic missions across the region over fears of possible Iranian attacks and renewed US-Israeli military action against Tehran.
In a one-page, unclassified memorandum dated October 23 and addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said intelligence agencies had received information pointing to a growing threat to American personnel abroad.
“Specifically, through various channels, we have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel. 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.
He also raised concerns that information about the threats needed to reach more officials who could be at risk. The memo said senior State Department officials had already received the intelligence, while additional personnel might need access to it.
“We will make every effort to downgrade as much intelligence as possible so you can share it with State Department personnel at your discretion,” the memo stated.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the communication.
US reduces embassy staffing
According to Axios, the assessment is among the factors behind Washington’s decision to cut staffing at diplomatic missions in the Middle East.
Earlier in the week, the State Department ordered family members and non-essential personnel to leave the US Embassy in Riyadh and its consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
On Friday, similar reductions were ordered at US embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan, a US official told Axios.
“We decided that due to the threat of Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots we need to reduce our footprint and keep only essential staff,” the official said.
US officials are also concerned that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels could widen their attacks beyond Saudi Arabia to other countries in the region.
May do another little Operation Epic Fury: Trump
The warning comes amid concerns that the US and Israel could resume military operations against Iran, potentially after the November 3 US midterm elections.
President Donald Trump referred to the possibility of further action during a rally in Florida on Friday, while also leaving open the prospect of an agreement with Tehran.
“We may do another little Operation Epic Fury, or [the Iranians] will agree [to a deal],” Trump said.
He added, “If they’re smart, they will just say, ‘Let’s get down to business,’ but I doubt they will do that because perhaps they’re not smart.”
The conflict has also become a domestic political concern in the US as rising fuel prices put pressure on consumers ahead of the midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.
The intelligence warning and diplomatic staffing cuts highlight Washington’s concerns about the safety of American personnel as tensions with Iran continue.
