US intelligence memo says Iran plots against Americans are advanced

US intelligence agencies have determined that Iran is in the advanced stages of preparing attacks on American personnel abroad. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton communicated this assessment to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo first reported by Axios. The document states that Iranian efforts to target US officials have substantially increased.

The warning has triggered immediate security actions at diplomatic missions across the Middle East. The State Department announced on Wednesday that it is removing non-essential staff from its embassy in Saudi Arabia. This decision follows escalating attacks on Saudi infrastructure by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. CNN reported that similar quiet staff reductions are occurring at embassies in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon.

A US official told The New York Times that Houthi strikes and Iranian terror plots targeting US officials are driving these withdrawals. The threats to American citizens in the region are currently at the highest level since the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28. The assessment arrives as Washington considers a new military campaign after the US mid-term elections scheduled for next month.

President Donald Trump addressed the situation on Friday, stating the US may do another little epic fury. He used the codename for the ongoing conflict. The Times noted that threats to US officials, including ambassadors, were assessed in recent weeks. Intelligence also indicates that Iran has identified potential targets in Europe. Some reports suggest Iranian operatives are already active inside the United States, though Washington has not publicly commented on the memo's full contents.

Iran has not responded to the intelligence memo. However, its officials have repeatedly threatened US bases and those of its allies. The Pentagon confirmed that 21 US military personnel have been killed in the Middle East since the war began. On Wednesday, Hossein Mohebbi, a Revolutionary Guard spokesman, said Tehran would adopt a new offensive strategy if the US renewed attacks. He stated that Iran would no longer limit itself to retaliation and claimed the quality, range, and power of its missiles had improved.

Reuters cited two senior Iranian security officials who said Tehran has detailed plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf. These plans would activate if new US-Israeli attacks occur. Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's security chief, warned that cables, data centers, and artificial intelligence facilities across the region could be hit if war resumes.

US authorities have a long history of accusing Iran of plotting against Americans. In March, a US court convicted a Pakistani national of plotting to assassinate Trump and other politicians on orders from the Revolutionary Guard. In 2022, a Guard member was charged with arranging the killing of former national security adviser John Bolton. The official allegedly offered $300,000 to people in the US to carry out the task. Last year, the US intelligence community said Iran would continue to directly threaten US persons globally, especially those involved in the 2020 killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

This month, US authorities abruptly pulled bombers from an airbase in England over fears of a possible attack. The move followed a security incident at the base. UK authorities subsequently arrested several men on suspicion of working with Iranian intelligence.