Iran Substantially Increased Efforts to Target Americans Abroad, Intelligence Memo Warns
Plots to kill U.S. personnel have reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries, according to an unclassified intelligence memo.
Iran has "substantially increased" its efforts to target U.S. personnel overseas, with plots against Americans reaching "advanced stages" in the Middle East and other nations, an unclassified intelligence memo obtained by Fox News states.
The memo, sent Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, follows a State Department order for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
U.S. officials confirmed the authenticity of the memo, which was first reported by Axios.
"The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries," the memo details.
Intelligence officials plan to downgrade the classification of certain intelligence to facilitate dissemination and sharing with State Department personnel. A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that the government continuously monitors and evaluates evolving security threats, and that information regarding Houthi attacks and potential Iranian plots is informing decisions on staffing adjustments for embassies in the region.
This intelligence report comes as President Donald Trump reportedly considers further military action against Iran if a diplomatic agreement is not reached.
Earlier in the week, the State Department clarified that departure orders for nonessential government personnel and their dependents were specific to Saudi Arabia, not a broader regional shutdown as some reports had suggested.
The State Department had previously renewed its travel advisory for the Middle East in late September, warning Americans about potential threats, including missile attacks launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels toward Saudi Arabia. The department ordered non-emergency personnel and their families to depart Saudi Arabia, citing the heightened security environment.
