Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran has 'substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel', with some lethal plots now at an advanced stage — a disclosure that has prompted Washington to pull diplomats from Saudi Arabia and reduce staffing at multiple embassies across the Middle East. The classified warning, dated 23 October, marks a sharp escalation in the threat picture facing American officials in the region.

The Intelligence Warning

In a one-page unclassified memo, Clayton told Rubio that Iranian lethal plots had 'reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries', according to a report citing the document. The memo was also copied to CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Crucially, it did not name specific targets, identify the countries outside the Middle East, or describe the nature of the plots.

The intelligence had already been shared with senior State Department officials. Clayton reportedly offered to downgrade the classification level so the warning could be disseminated more widely within the department — an unusual step that signals the seriousness with which the threat is being treated.

Embassy Withdrawals Across the Region

The warning has triggered a visible operational response. Earlier this week, the State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency staff from the US Embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran. Staff reductions subsequently followed at US embassies in the UAE, Lebanon, Qatar, and Jordan.

Reports further indicated that cuts extended to Bahrain and Kuwait, with diplomats describing the reductions as 'chaotic'. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a post on X that the ordered departure applied to 'Saudi Arabia only', appearing to draw a distinction between mandatory departures and voluntary staff reductions elsewhere.

A US official confirmed the memo and elaborated: 'When it comes to our staffing at embassies, we constantly evaluate new information about the security environment. The threat of Houthi attacks and of Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. officials are informing our decisions on staffing adjustments for embassies on RO Status in the region.'

Trump Keeps Military Option on the Table

The disclosures come as President Donald Trump has kept the option of renewed military action explicitly open. Speaking at a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump said: 'We may do another little Operation Epic Fury, or [the Iranians] will agree.' The remark signals that Washington is treating the threat not merely as a defensive security matter but as a potential trigger for further military engagement.

Separately, a report from 21 October indicated that the US military had also been quietly reducing troop numbers at bases across the Middle East — a development that, read alongside the embassy withdrawals, suggests a broader repositioning of American assets in the region.

Context and What Comes Next

This is not the first time Iran has been accused of plotting against US and allied officials. Allegations of Iranian-linked assassination attempts against former US officials have surfaced repeatedly in recent years, including reported plots against former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The current warning, however, is notable for its geographic breadth — extending beyond the Middle East — and for the speed of the operational response it has triggered.

The situation is expected to remain fluid as US-Iran diplomatic tensions remain unresolved. How far Washington is prepared to push its military posture — and whether Tehran signals any willingness to negotiate — will shape the security calculus in the coming days.