Iran has "increased efforts to target U.S. personnel," intel chief warns
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned in a memo to Secretary of State Rubio that Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel," and the plots have "reached advanced stages."
Key points
- DNI Jay Clayton warned Iran has sharply increased efforts to target U.S. personnel abroad.
- Clayton said lethal plotting against Americans has reached advanced stages in the Middle East and elsewhere.
- The State Department ordered non-essential personnel and families to leave the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned Friday that Iran has "substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel" abroad, according to an unclassified memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by CBS News. The memo says plots to kill Americans have reached advanced stages in the Middle East and other countries.
The warning 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, amid concerns about threats from Iran and the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in Yemen. Axios first reported on the memo.
What the memo says
Clayton wrote that "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 does not name specific targets or countries, or say whether attacks may be imminent.
Clayton said the intelligence community is working to downgrade sensitive intelligence so it can be shared more broadly with State Department personnel. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was copied on the memo. The memo was issued as the Trump administration weighs resuming military strikes against Iran.
We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree
— President Trump
Embassy and military adjustments
Earlier this week, the State Department ordered non-essential U.S. embassy personnel and their families to depart Saudi Arabia. Several other American embassies in the region adjusted staffing under "restricted operations" status, which lets them cut personnel without formally going on ordered departure.
A U.S. official told CBS News that the threat of Houthi attacks and Iranian plots targeting U.S. officials is informing staffing decisions at embassies on that status. A U.S. official and a senior U.S. military official also said the military has been quietly reducing its footprint at Middle East posts because of ongoing threats.
Houthi militants have stepped up drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting oil infrastructure and airports. A strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport earlier this month killed at least a dozen people, including a U.S. citizen, and injured hundreds more. Last weekend, U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other countries warned Americans to exercise caution.
Trump on possible action
At a campaign rally in Florida on Friday, President Trump suggested the U.S. could launch another operation against Iran if Tehran failed to reach an agreement. "We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree," he said, referring to the U.S. military campaign launched in February.
