WASHINGTON: US Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned that Iranian plots targeting American personnel had reached “advanced stages” in the Middle East and other countries, according to an October 23 memo seen by Reuters.
Clayton told Secretary of State Marco Rubio that intelligence received through several channels indicated Iran had substantially increased efforts to target US personnel.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the unclassified memo, which Axios first reported. The warning coincides with security changes at US diplomatic missions across the region.
On Wednesday, the State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave US missions in Saudi Arabia. Officials were also considering family withdrawals from other regional posts.
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A US official said both Houthi attacks and alleged Iranian plots targeting American officials were influencing embassy staffing decisions.
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Washington has placed some missions under Restricted Operations Status, which gives the State Department greater flexibility over personnel without publicly changing a mission’s status.
On Saturday, the department updated travel advisories for more than a dozen Gulf and Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Israel. Those warnings cited an increased threat from Iran-aligned Houthi forces.
The intelligence memo did not identify specific US targets or name the countries outside the Middle East where the alleged plots had reached advanced stages.
