US intelligence officials warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio that alleged Iran assassination plots targeting American diplomats and officials abroad had reached advanced stages, according to a memo obtained by Axios.
The one-page, unclassified memo dated Friday says Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton told Rubio that senior State Department officials had already received the underlying intelligence.
Clayton offered to declassify sensitive material where possible so officials could warn more at-risk personnel. The memo does not identify specific targets, attack methods or countries outside the Middle East.
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Earlier this week, the State Department ordered family members and nonessential personnel to leave the US Embassy in Riyadh and consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran.
On Friday, officials also ordered staffing reductions at US embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan.
A US official linked those cuts to threats from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and alleged Iranian plots. The official said Washington wanted to “keep only essential staff”.
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US officials also fear Houthi forces could expand attacks beyond Saudi Arabia to other countries in the region. President Donald Trump said at a Florida rally on Friday that the United States could undertake another Operation Epic Fury if Iran did not agree to a deal.
