US Evacuates Middle East Personnel Amid Iranian Threat

The United States has reduced personnel from several Middle Eastern embassies in response to intelligence indicating that Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target US personnel." The warning came in an unclassified memo dated October 23 from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which stated that "lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries."

A US official confirmed the memo to the Daily Mail on Saturday. The intelligence was reportedly gathered through "various channels."

In response to the escalating threat, the U.S. has adjusted staffing at American embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Non-emergency government employees and their family members were previously ordered to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

A State Department official told the Daily Mail that Lebanon, UAE, Qatar, and Jordan would experience "temporary changes" to staffing levels under restricted operations, though staff in these countries have not been ordered to depart, unlike in Saudi Arabia. No changes in personnel have been reported for embassies in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Embassies operate under a "restricted operations status," which involves constant evaluation and adjustment of staffing levels based on the security environment. The official pointed to a security alert issued on October 18, which noted that Iranian-backed Houthis had attacked civilian airports and infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. The alert warned that "the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area."

Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe was also copied on the memo to Rubio. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) stated that many families in the region were "understandably upset, confused and angry," echoing the chaos experienced earlier in the year when families were evacuated. AFSA reported hearing accounts of "bureaucratic ping-pong" and stated that diplomatic families "deserve more than another round of uncertainty" after a year of upheaval.

The State Department official acknowledged the difficulty of operating under ordered or authorized departure statuses and expressed commitment to assisting families with added expenses and school enrollments. The department is communicating directly with affected staff.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is preparing for potential further strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. President Donald Trump, who was briefed on multiple options prepared by the Pentagon, has reportedly leaned toward resuming strikes. During a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump remarked, "we may do another little [Operation] Epic Fury," referring to the strikes that began in February.

The State Department has also issued Level 4: Do Not Travel advisories for Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, citing threats in the region.