A fresh intelligence memo confirms that Iranian lethal plotting against U.S. citizens has reached advanced stages. On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio received this warning directly from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton. The document details a sharp rise in threats targeting American personnel across the region and other countries.
The State Department has already acted on this news by reducing staff at multiple diplomatic posts. These measures include Lebanon, the UAE, Qatar, and Jordan, where operations are now restricted. A U.S. official confirmed the memo’s authenticity after it was first reported by Axios.
In an unclassified memo, Clayton wrote that “the lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries.” He observed that the risk concerns “more individuals than are currently cleared to receive this information.” Addressing the solution, he declared, “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 Daily Wire reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe was also copied on this urgent warning. This intelligence drives the current drawdown of American forces and diplomatic staff. The move mirrors earlier reductions the Defense Department and State Department started in February.
The four affected embassies remain open but now function under “Restricted Operations” status. Unlike the mandatory departures ordered for employees and families in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, staff at these posts are not told to leave.
However, non-emergency government workers and all family members must exit Saudi Arabia due to escalating threats from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants.
Both Iranian plotting and the Houthi threat informed these staffing decisions, according to U.S. officials. The State Department initially cited only the Houthis when announcing the drawdowns. They did not publicly identify the Iranian plots as a direct concern at that time.
A U.S. official stated, “When it comes to our staffing at embassies, we constantly evaluate new information about the security environment.” They further noted that “The threat of Houthi attacks and of Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. officials are informing our decisions on staffing adjustments for embassies on Restricted Status in the region.”
