Iran increases efforts to target U.S. personnel abroad, intel chief warns

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned in a memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel abroad, with plots to kill Americans reaching advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries, CBS News reported.

The unclassified memo, obtained by CBS News, comes as the State Department adjusts staffing at diplomatic posts across the Middle East and the U.S. military reduces its presence in the region due to concerns about direct threats from Iran and the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in Yemen.

Clayton's memo did not specify particular targets or countries where the plots are underway, nor did it indicate whether attacks may be imminent. The intelligence community is working to downgrade sensitive information to share it more broadly with State Department personnel.

The warning follows recent precautions at U.S. diplomatic facilities, including the ordered departure of non-essential embassy personnel and families from Saudi Arabia, and other embassies operating under restricted operations status to reduce staffing without formal evacuation.

A U.S. official told CBS News that staffing decisions at embassies are continuously evaluated based on new security information, including threats from Houthi attacks and Iranian terror plots targeting U.S. officials.