US warns of advanced Iranian plots targeting American diplomats
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- US intelligence warns that Iran has significantly intensified alleged plots targeting American diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond.
- Washington has ordered diplomatic staff reductions and departures from several regional missions amid escalating security concerns, according to US media reports.
The United States is bracing for what intelligence officials describe as increasingly advanced Iranian plots targeting American citizens, diplomats and officials around the world, according to reports by Axios and The New York Times.
US Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned that Iran had “significantly intensified” efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond.
The warning comes as Washington has tightened security measures at several diplomatic missions across the region amid escalating threats linked to the ongoing conflict.
According to Axios, Clayton sent a one-page, unclassified intelligence memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 23, warning of a substantial increase in Iranian efforts to target American diplomats and officials.
The memo did not identify specific targets, countries outside the Middle East or the nature of the alleged plots. However, it indicated that key intelligence had already been shared with senior State Department officials.
The report comes amid growing concerns among US and European officials about potential Iranian retaliation against American interests.
Washington ordered the departure of family members and nonessential personnel from the US Embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran earlier in the week, according to Axios and The New York Times.
The State Department also ordered reductions in diplomatic and government staffing at US missions in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan on Friday, Axios reported, citing a US official.
The measures follow repeated attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthis in Saudi Arabia this month, including an attack on Riyadh’s international airport, according to the report.
The New York Times reported that two Iranian officials, one of whom it identified as a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, confirmed the existence of plans to target Americans, with the scope of potential targets expanding to include diplomats and other US personnel.
The officials reportedly justified the plans as retaliation for the killings of Iranian officials and members of their families by the United States and ‘Israel’.
The claims have not been independently verified.
The New York Times also reported, citing American and Western officials, that the severity of any specific attack plan would depend in part on the capabilities of those recruited to carry it out.
US and European officials said intelligence concerning potential Iranian attacks had increased in recent weeks, following the discovery of a suspected Iranian plot targeting a military base in Britain used by the US military.
The latest warnings come as Washington continues to assess the risk of retaliatory attacks against its personnel and facilities amid heightened regional tensions.
