Intelligence Chief Flags Advanced Iranian Plots Against U.S. Personnel

Washington has long monitored Iranian activity abroad, but the latest internal guidance signals a shift in the pace of those operations. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned on Friday that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel overseas.

The unclassified memo, dated Friday, indicates that plots to kill Americans have progressed to advanced stages. Clayton wrote that lethal plotting efforts against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries.

The document was addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe copied on the communication. While Axios first reported the contents, the memo does not identify specific targets or the exact locations where these plots are being developed. It also does not specify whether an attack is imminent.

Clayton noted that the intelligence community is working to downgrade the classification of sensitive data gathered through various channels. This move aims to allow State Department staff to access more information. The memo arrives as the administration weighs resuming military strikes against Iran.

Security precautions have already tightened at American diplomatic and military sites in the region. Earlier this week, the State Department ordered non-essential embassy personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. Other U.S. embassies in the area have shifted to restricted operations status, a designation that allows them to reduce staffing without formally declaring an ordered departure.

A U.S. official told CBS News on Friday that the department constantly evaluates new information about the security environment. That official said the threat of Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. officials are shaping staffing decisions. A senior U.S. military official confirmed this week that the military has quietly shrunk its presence at posts in the Middle East due to continuing threats.

Houthi militants, backed by Iran, have carried out attacks on Saudi Arabia targeting oil infrastructure and airports. One strike earlier this month on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport killed a U.S. citizen and others, while injuring hundreds. Last weekend, U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates took additional steps in response to these attacks. Although the U.S. and Iran have avoided striking each other in recent weeks, President Trump suggested at a campaign rally in Florida on Friday that another operation could follow if Tehran does not reach an agreement. He referred to the U.S. military campaign launched in February, stating, 'We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree.'

Iran has also continued to claim responsibility for attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.